One Weekend
by StormDragonfly
Summary: At Edward's request, Carlisle takes Bella away for the weekend. How will Bella react when she discovers what Edward has suggested Carlisle do in his stead? A meaningful story of arousal and trust, taking place before the epilogue of Eclipse.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: **Though it didn't make it into the final rounds, "One Weekend" was nominated for three Indie Twific Awards! The categories are: Best Secondary Characterization, Love Conquers All Novella and Completed Canon or AU That Knocks You Off Your Feet. Thanks to all of you who sent some love my way. I am more grateful than I can say that my story is being enjoyed.

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Bella lay on her bed and thought of having sex with Edward.

She and Edward had already discussed this. What Bella wanted more than anything was this one human experience before she was changed into a vampire. She wanted to make love to him. She knew that he wanted her, too, but was afraid for her. To Edward, she was everything he wanted in life and what he dangerously desired. He would never want her to be hurt, and especially did not want to be the reason she was hurting. Edward had never forgiven himself for the pain he had caused her when he had left her behind in Forks.

The whole family had taken off with him. Carlisle, Esme, they had left out of love for Edward and love for Bella. She didn't realize it at the time, but they were all of them looking out for what they hoped was her best interest, as well as Edward's.

Now that events had conspired around the whole Cullen family so that it was mandatory by Volturi law that Bella be turned into a vampire, Edward wanted to delay it as long as possible. He wanted her to have human experiences, he had told her, to live as much of a human life as possible.

"Then give me this one," she had bargained with him. "Give me this one experience. I want to feel what it is like before who I am changes." Bella knew that she had finally cracked his determination by playing the human experience card. It was what Edward wanted for her, and God, it was what she wanted. What made it so difficult was that Edward wanted to protect her so damn much.

She didn't _care_ that he thought she might get hurt. She trusted him to be able to resist her blood and control his physical strength. She was going to make love to him, and she was going to do it with her human body. Feel him while she was still warm-blooded, while her heart could still race and her breathing quicken. Every time she and Edward had kissed and touched, it was maddening that he would draw back just as her blood began to race for more.

And so she had forced his hand and demanded to lose her virginity. Edward had given in. He loved her and consented that he would find a way. Sighing, Bella rolled onto her side and picked up her Jane Austen collection. It did her no good at the moment to dwell on her hope, as much as she looked forward to Edward fulfilling his promise. Best to calm her mind before Charlie got back.

It was a Friday afternoon and Charlie would be coming home from the police station in a couple of hours. She had some chicken thawing in the fridge, intending to make a rice dish for her dad once he arrived.

The house phone rang, and Bella let her book drop to the bed as she bounced out of the room to get it. It was Edward.

"Bella," she could hear the love in his voice and smiled. That beautiful musical voice that she would love forever. "I've got it figured out."

"Got what figured out? I thought you were going hunting with Jasper and Emmett."

"I am. Actually, Esme is coming as well. Listen, Alice called your father at the station and cleared you for a weekend getaway."

Wariness seeped into Bella. "A weekend getaway? Am I being kidnapped again?"

Amusement entered Edward's voice when he answered after a beat. "Yes, you are. Carlisle should be at your door momentarily."

That took Bella by surprise. "Carlisle? Carlisle is helping Alice kidnap me?"

"Just trust me, Bella."

"Hmm, I don't know. Maybe I should go down to La Push and see Jacob instead."

A low growl came from the other end of the phone. "Trust me, Bella. Go with Carlisle."

Pleased at being able to tease him, the seriousness of Edward's tone made her suppress it from her voice. "All right. Hey, I think that's him pulling up to the house now."

"Good. Talk to you later, Bella."

"Bye-" but he was already gone. Bella looked down at the phone in puzzlement before hanging it up and heading to the front door. What was going on?

Her bemusement only increased at the sight of Carlisle and his Mercedes S55 AMG in her father's driveway. Carlisle stood about 6'2" tall and was as beautiful as the rest of the Cullen clan. Unlike Edward his hair was blond and fell into place in attractive waves thick enough to run fingers through. Beautiful and pale, it was when Bella first met Dr. Carlisle Cullen that she realized all of the Cullens must have the same secret. The patriarch of the family, he had the same ethereal beauty as the rest. Factoring in Edward's surprising superhuman abilities in addition to the almost superhuman attractiveness the family shared, it was impossible to believe that Carlisle was not aware of it all.

Carlisle himself proved to be no more alarming than she had ever found Edward. In fact, she always felt comfortable and safe in his presence. Full of kindness, compassion and a strong reasonable mind, Carlisle's warm heart made him the Cullen that Bella trusted the most. So why was he here today, a participant in another of Edward's contrived kidnappings?

"Hello, Bella." He said in a steady and strong voice that made Bella feel soothed. Whatever Edward was up to, Carlisle wouldn't be participating in anything that would infuriate her. Even when it came to her choice to become a vampire, he had been on her side.

"Carlisle." Bella's smile was genuine.

Carlisle walked around to the passenger side of his Mercedes and opened the door for her. Knowing that she didn't need to grab anything as she had all she would need at the Cullen house already, Bella locked the door behind her and stepped over to Carlisle.

"You look lovely today." Carlisle's appealing voice continued to relax Bella even as she looked down ironically at her denim shorts and plain tee. Sliding into the vehicle the corner of her mouth gave a quick smirk. Within seconds, Carlisle was behind the wheel and backing out of the driveway.

The uniqueness of being given a ride by Carlisle struck Bella. She was used to being in Edward's Volvo. The Mercedes had a different feel to it entirely. It was far ritzier and yet elegant. The butter smooth leather made her seat much more comfortable to sink into. "I don't think that I've ever driven with you before. How is it that you've become a part of my kidnapping today?"

"Kidnapping?" Taken by surprise, Carlisle raised his eyebrows.

"Well, this isn't the first time that Edward has had a member of the Cullen family take me for the weekend when he's away hunting. What exactly am I going to be doing with Alice?"

"It's not Alice that you're going to be spending the weekend with." Carlisle's tone was gentle and somewhat cautious as he revealed this new tidbit. He looked over at Bella with compassion for her confusion. Bella imagined for a split second that his gaze flickered over her.

"I'm not?" A slight bit of nervousness began to edge into her brain. Bella's eyes darted around, and she realized that the road around her was not what she expected. "Carlisle," Tightness enclosed around his name, "why are we not heading for your house?"

Carlisle looked over at Bella and reached out to put his hand on her knee. "Please, don't be worried, Bella. You'll be spending the weekend with me. We are heading to a cabin I have in Montana. It's best to give you the full explanation once we're there. You may consider this an abduction, but please believe that nothing's going to happen that will harm you."

Bella was most definitely taken aback. A weekend with Carlisle? Possibilities ran through her mind: an important telling of something from the Cullen family history she didn't know, or maybe even her transformation. Carlisle had agreed to change her, after all. But Edward wanted to delay that, had promised to do it himself after…

Carlisle looked into Bella's eyes, patiently waiting for her response. His hand still rested reassuringly and intimately on her knee. "Of course, Carlisle," she looked back into his earnest gaze. "I trust you."

Carlisle withdrew his hand slowly, the tips of his fingers sliding across her knee, as he turned back toward the road. Bella leaned back into her seat and tried not to let her thoughts run rampant with speculation. She focused on Carlisle instead.

He was beautiful. It was impossible to deny it. Bella imagined that Carlisle was beautiful even before becoming a vampire. Strong cheekbones, earnest and compassionate eyes all contributed to the appeal of his lean, muscular build. Like the Mercedes, Carlisle always had about him a sleek sexy elegance. Delicious and musky, a faint scent she thought must come from the car reached Bella. Her eyes moved from Carlisle to the dashboard. Did Carlisle drive like the rest of the Cullens? As the digital speed read 98 miles per hour, it was safe to assume that he did. Bella didn't want to think about how fast they were going.

Looking back at Carlisle, Bella remembered the last time she had been alone with him. The only time actually, and it was because no other vampire could safely be near her as blood oozed out of her arm. Nervous as Carlisle removed several shards of glass from the wound, Bella had changed her focus by asking Carlisle questions about himself.

"What are you thinking?" he asked her, looking at her with an unexpectedly shy smile. Bella's lips twitched a bit. It was a question she was very much accustomed to being asked.

"I was remembering the last time we were alone together."

"And?"

"I distracted myself by focusing on you."

"True. You did ask me some very good questions. I remember you were the first one to agree with me about acceptance in heaven."

"It's hard to imagine heaven not approving of you."

Carlisle's smile was very warm, and he turned his head to look at her full on. "Thank you, Bella."

Bella stopped breathing as his eyes locked onto hers. They were ocher turned into gold, with depths that Bella started to sink into. It took just a second for her to draw breath again. Blinking, she felt a bit of a flush hit her cheeks. Did Carlisle just dazzle her? No, he couldn't have, not deliberately in any case. Heart skipping a little bit more quickly, Bella frantically tried to think of something to say.

"Chicken!"

Carlisle looked genuinely startled. "What?"

"I left the chicken thawing for Charlie in the fridge. He's never going to cook it himself. It's probably going to go bad by the time I get back." Bella didn't really care, just a small thing that she didn't think of before leaving the house. "I should have thought about it."

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Carlisle's reassurance contained a note of humor.

Another thought struck Bella. "Um, Carlisle? I thought that we were heading to your place. That is to say I didn't bring any clothes. I mean -" Bella tried to stop babbling like an uncomfortable teenager with a crush. "I figured I wouldn't need any, as there's plenty for me at your house. Or, at least, extras that Alice has."

"Alice will have plenty in her closet for you in Montana. I'm sure she won't mind that you wear some." Carlisle was very amused and continued to smile at her. The musky scent in the car seemed to be more noticeable. "Do you always cook for your father?"

"Yes, it took him awhile to get used to it. Without me he'll order take out and eat on the couch in front of a game. It's unhealthy to do that too much. It was the same when I lived with my mother, Renee. I always cooked for her, too. Her kitchen experiments weren't particularly edible." Talking about her parents steadied Bella. She couldn't believe that she'd just had such a clumsy hormonal moment with _Carlisle_.

"You seem to always look after others, Bella. It's a very attractive trait."

"Coming from a doctor." Bella demurred. She wanted to deflect the attention away from her. Having Carlisle state that she was attractive in any way was not comfortable for her right now. "A _vampire _doctor. When it comes to helping others, Carlisle, you win the prize."

"Being a vampire doesn't make any act I do more meaningful than you cooking for your parents."

"You've saved lives."

"And you haven't? Bella, more than once I've known you to walk towards death because you thought it would save someone you love. That's very praiseworthy."

"You've also known me to get paper cuts, trip and fall, get nearly crushed to death by a van and deliberately jump off a cliff."

"You certainly seem to add to your repertoire." Again, looking over at Bella, Carlisle reached out and touched her knee. "Don't dismiss yourself so easily. You may feel like merely a clumsy human, Bella, but you are quite extraordinary. As much as I care for you as a member of my family, I admire you equally well."

Bella was still, caught again in Carlisle's gaze. This time it served to soothe her, counteracting the self-conscious discomfort his words had given her. She wasn't any more at ease receiving compliments than she was at receiving gifts. Yet, it disarmed her to know that a person whom she so highly regarded could think so well of her. She never thought of the Cullen family as accepting her for any more reason than Edward's love for her. She knew Alice enjoyed her company, for they were best friends. Esme was ecstatic at Bella's relieving Edward's loneliness. Emmett found her amusing. Even Jasper, whose appetite was the hardest to control, treated her very decently. Rosalie had yet to thaw, but Rosalie's world always consisted of herself first.

That Carlisle, the one that everyone in the family looked up to and turned to, could say that he admired her was a compliment beyond expectations.

Then, of course, there was his dazzling gaze and his hand on her knee.

"How long will it take to reach Montana?" she asked him.

Carlisle put his hand back on the wheel and looked at the road. "I can get us there in nine hours."

Oh boy. It was going to be a long drive. Thankfully she could be human and spend a chunk of it sleeping.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight.

**Author's Note:** First of all, I'd like thank everyone for taking an interest in my story. I welcome all your reviews, alerts and favorites. While I've chosen a real location for this story, it is intended as fiction and I have no idea whether there actually is an expansive chalet on Bitterroot Lake. Enjoy!

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Bella began to recover herself after a few minutes of silently watching the road fly by. The mention of their old conversation had reminded Bella of a question that had been tugging at her.

"Carlisle, what does the rest of your family, other than Edward, think of your chances at an afterlife?"

"Are you asking because I said you're the only one to agree with me?" Carlisle's relaxed calm made Bella feel comfortable reintroducing the subject.

"Yes. I'm surprised Esme doesn't."

"Esme had a hard life as a human. I believe you know that she had tried to kill herself before I changed her. There are many religions that believe that is a sin, and an automatic denial of heaven."

"Oh, surely Esme doesn't believe she's going to hell? She's so… happy. And loving."

Affection for his wife made Carlisle smile. It gentled his face and a reflection of inner glow shined through. He looked very much like the seraph version of himself depicted in the Solimena painting that hung on his wall. "Yes, she is. For that I am very thankful."

There was a beat before Bella moved on. "What about Emmett? I'm not surprised to think that Rosalie believes herself damned. Does Emmett just follow her lead?"

"Emmett lives solidly in the now, very carpe diem. He doesn't think too much about the soul's afterlife. He's very happy living his current one."

This made Bella think of Emmett's booming laughter and she smiled at the thought.

"Rosalie," Carlisle continued, "as you surmised, believes this existence is damnation. She doesn't make a secret of the fact that she would not have chosen being a vampire, had she been capable of making a choice."

There was a touch of sadness there, Bella sensed, and she knew why. She reached out and touched the back of Carlisle's right hand. Carlisle lifted his hand from the wheel and turned it over to allow his cool fingers to briefly intertwine with Bella's. "I've made my peace with the decision I made for her that night. Rosalie has managed to find happiness."

The moment passed, Bella's hand rejoined the other in her lap. Being able to offer Carlisle comfort and understanding had mildly surprised her as much as his acceptance of it. However there was no awkwardness; it had felt natural. "And Alice and Jasper?"

"Jasper's origins and abilities need to be taken into account. He has felt a lot of evil from our kind. It would be quite a progressive step for him to believe we can achieve heaven." The care and compassion Carlisle felt for his newest son was also very clear to Bella. She imagined not many other vampires in the world would have opened their doors to so much pain with as much understanding. "And Alice hasn't firmly developed an opinion. Her ability to see futures doesn't give her an advantage on the subject, but she keeps an open mind."

Bella was fascinated by this new insight into Carlisle. As much as he had welcomed her from the beginning, she began to feel a stronger bond as Carlisle opened up to her. And she couldn't tear her eyes away from him. How had she never noticed before how deeply Carlisle felt for those he loved? Each emotion was there to be read in his face, just under the surface. Had it always been there, or was he letting his guard down?

Unavoidably, Bella began to wonder again why Carlisle was driving her to Montana for the weekend. It couldn't be for her transformation; that would take more time than a weekend would allow.

"How hard was it to be able to take the weekend away from the hospital?" she asked him.

"Not too terribly difficult. They are accustomed to me needing a couple of days here and there, usually when the sun is out." He answered lightly.

"So this was last minute?" Bella did not succeed in sounding casual. Carlisle didn't seem to mind her probing.

"Yes, in a way."

Bella shifted in her seat. She wanted to ask more questions, but didn't want it to come across as though she didn't trust Carlisle. She already told him she did. Besides, she was actually enjoying herself so far.

"Well, I'm glad you were able to. It's nice getting to spend time with you."

Carlisle turned his beautiful face and looked at her again. It was almost imperceptible, but he seemed to start to say something else before he answered her. "You're worth spending time with."

Bella smiled back at him. Yes, she did trust him and it felt natural to be in his company. Leaning back into her seat, she let her eyes drift closed as the scent inside the car floated around her.

**(~*~)**

Bella stirred slightly against the cold chest and arms around her. She had been dreaming, though exactly of what eluded her. The last remnants floated away like dissipating smoke from a snuffed candle. She felt very much at peace. Semi-conscious, she leaned into her right and nuzzled in towards the familiar cold embrace supporting her. Yet, a subtle difference about the arms around her and the chest she pressed her nose against roused her more fully.

"Bella, you're awake." Carlisle stated as he gently lowered her feet back to the ground.

"Oh," fully aware now, Bella's startled eyes looked up at Carlisle as her body slid down to regain balance. She barely succeeded, as her right ankle gave a quick turn that thankfully she caught before she went down. Briefly Carlisle's hands tightened on her back and thigh to catch her. And were gone again.

"I'm sorry I startled you, and that I woke you." Carlisle nodded towards Bella.

"That's- that's fine." Bella needed to recover from unexpectedly waking up so close to Carlisle. It was completely dark out. Bella could just make out the dark forms of a large house looming over them and trees surrounding the drive. Carlisle must have been carrying her from the car into the cabin. It had no lights on, but naturally it wouldn't. Carlisle didn't need them to see a path. "What time is it?"

"It's about one in the morning. Two if we're going by local time." Carlisle offered his arm to Bella. "We should get inside. I'll guide you in."

"Where in Montana are we, exactly?" Bella asked as Carlisle steered her up wooden porch steps.

"We're on Bitterroot Lake in a small town called Marion; not far from the city of Kalispell. There's a national park about 50 miles from here that partly extends into Canada. We used to live here not too long ago."

Bella's eyes had started to adjust to the darkness when Carlisle ushered her into the cabin and turned on the lights. Wincing reflexively it took a moment for the visual to match the new delicious scent reaching her nostrils. Built out of cedar, the whole place held a fragrance of the outdoors. The "cabin" was more spacious than the house in Forks, with rustic décor tastefully arranged throughout. Bella felt as though she was walking into a high-end ski lodge.

Carlisle smiled at her. "You seemed to be impressed."

"Carlisle, this is- it'd be more appropriate to call this place a chalet than a cabin."

"I like to think of it as a cabin. It makes me feel a bit more relaxed that way."

Bella turned to look at him. "If you feel relaxed thinking of your possessions as more modest, then why purchase so many expensive things? The houses, the cars?"

Carlisle laughed, a beautiful sound. "I indulge the rest of my family, Bella. As you know, we're fairly large for a coven. The bigger houses are rather necessitated because of that. And since I love my family, I allow them their independence. They can spend their money on fast cars that suit them. Or in the case of Alice, on a set of clothes for every hour."

Bella grinned and was surprised when Carlisle took her hand.

He was looking earnestly at her. Ever so briefly, she found herself beginning to sink into his eyes again, but caught herself. "Bella, will you please sit down?" Carlisle held an arm out to the couch and at her nod, led her over to it.

Once she sat down, Carlisle crouched before her between the couch and the coffee table, and grasped her hands. Bella looked at him expectantly, but the expression on his face made her wary. She felt as though she was in a hospital waiting room about to be told that a loved one needed an emergency procedure.

"Bella, you know how very much I care for you and Edward."

Bella nodded, still warily waiting to hear what Carlisle was telling her.

"Since Edward first encountered you, I've been a shoulder to help him when he needed it. Your relationship is very unique and very intense. Edward loves you a great deal." Carlisle waited for her to acknowledge understanding. Bella could only nod. A sick, nervous feeling began to tighten in her stomach. Where was Carlisle going with this? Surely nothing new was happening to separate Edward from her again?

Carlisle's cool hands tightened around hers reassuringly and somewhat apprehensively. "Edward has told me about your latest problem."

"Our problem?" Bella was completely confounded. There wasn't something Edward hadn't told her about that he'd told Carlisle, was there?

"Your… womanly needs, Bella."

A light began to dawn. "What? No, wait." Bella took a moment to draw in a deep breath. "No, I see. It doesn't surprise me that he'd talk to you about it." All the same a flush covered her cheeks. If Edward needed guidance in this area at all, it made sense for him to go to Carlisle for advice. "What exactly did you advise?"

Carlisle hestitated. "It was Edward who made the suggestion, a possible solution. Bella, you know better than most how Edward is drawn to you. How he must control his appetite. And he knows better than anyone how far he can trust that control. He knows his own limitations."

Bella stared at Carlisle's perfect face. She felt no need whatsoever anymore to avoid asking questions. She was here, over 600 miles away from home. And she wasn't here with Edward. "Carlisle, what was Edward's solution?"

Carlisle met Bella's gaze. With gentleness and sincerity he answered her question. "I can help you, Bella."

Bella withdrew her hands from Carlisle's and stood up. He stood up with her.

"Are you telling me that _Edward_ suggested that _you_ take me away for the weekend so that _we_ can have sex?"

Carlisle gave her the simple, direct answer. "Yes."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you everyone for your reviews! I take it as a very large compliment that my story made two of you think enough to disagree with each other over a choice I made. I appreciate both point of views, and thank you for the contructive criticism. Keep them coming.

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Bella was furious.

"Carlisle." She kept her voice steady. "Will you please lend me your cell phone? I'd like to speak to Edward."

Carlisle handed her his phone without saying a word.

Edward answered on the first ring.

"Edward, darling, how are the mountain lions?" The sickly sweet words fooled no one, nor did she intend them to.

"Bella." There was no surprise in his tone. He had been expecting this. "I know you're upset, but please hear me out."

"Hear you out?! No, Edward, I think you need to let me have my say right now." Bella started pacing the floor furiously, moving between living area and kitchen, her attention focused only on the phone call. "You've gone and acted all high-handed again without so much as consulting me. Were you planning on giving me a choice at all? Did you think you could just pass me off to the nearest vamp and say 'Here, have at her for me, will you?'"

"Bella, you know it's not like that -"

"No, it's more like Edward is too afraid to give Bella what she wants so he'll ask dear old Dad to do it for him."

Carlisle stood, his face serene and unreadable. Bella hadn't bothered to hide the conversation from him. No matter where she went in the chalet, he'd be able to hear both her and Edward anyway.

"That's putting it very crassly, Bella. This isn't about pawning you off; it's about showing you love."

"Showing me love?" Bella hissed. "Maneuvering me into an isolated weekend with someone else? What made you think that you could just arrange something like this? Why couldn't you have just discussed your doubts with me?"

"Yes, it's about love, Bella. I love you more than anything and your humanity is about to be stolen. You deserve to have more. So this is about giving you the best of life I can before your life is taken from you."

"I don't consider being able to join you for eternity as having my life taken from me."

"I know, love. But try to understand my fear for you. There is no changing the fact that you must become one of us, though you know I would if I could. There's so much I can't do. I want you to have as much as is beautiful and precious about human life as I can give. And I can't personally give you this, Bella. I wouldn't be able to control my hunger for you if I let my physical desires for you take over. I'd want your blood, _la_ _mia cantante_, and I would take it. I wouldn't be able to stop myself and I'd kill you. You'd be gone and I wouldn't be able to live with you gone, to live with what I'd done to you."

His misery undid her. She couldn't bear the thought of him suffering. Worse, she couldn't bear the thought of the world without Edward.

"You don't know that you'd end up hurting me," she protested gently.

"Bella." Her name was a groan. "I know. We've been intimate often enough that I know."

"Alright, Edward." Softly, Bella let go of her fondest wish. She had tormented him to insist on it. "We don't have to go to bed together. I shouldn't have tried to force your hand. But why, _why_, would you offer me to someone else? Why Carlisle, if this is about human experience?"

"Who could I trust more?" There was pain behind Edward's words. "Bella, I do, truly, want you to have everything you can while your pulse still beats. Carlisle can give you what I can't and he can …" There was a pause before Edward continued. "… treat you well. Better than any of the human boys back in Forks. Though if that is something you would prefer, it is your decision."

"Gee, thanks." Yet Edward's self-sacrificing manner made Bella stop. Sighing, she knew that she wouldn't keep pushing at him, because in the end she loved him. She also understood now why Edward had growled when she'd mentioned La Push on the phone before Carlisle had arrived. Of course, Edward would prefer her to be with Carlisle. Bella looked over at him, standing and watching with complete stillness, the quintessence of physical perfection. Quickly looking away, Bella spoke to Edward before she could forget what was on her mind.

"I'm not agreeing to anything. _Anything_. You need to understand that it was wrong of you to not give me a choice, to not even to talk this over with me from the beginning."

"I should have discussed this with you," Edward agreed with not a small bit of relief. "I do want you to be happy, Bella. I love you."

"I love _you_, Edward."

Silently, Bella passed the phone to Carlisle and sat down on a stool at the kitchen counter. Edward and Carlisle had a quick exchange that she couldn't follow before he disconnected and put the cell phone away. Carlisle looked at her and opened his mouth to speak, but Bella cut him off.

"_Why_, Carlisle?"


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Let me quickly provide you chapter 4. I confess that I had this chapter written long before chapters two or three, but for a few edits here and there. I'd like your feedback. Also, your patience, as I know I won't be getting chapter 5 up as quickly as I did these last few. You are forewarned.

Please, feel free to share your feedback. I do know where this story is going and what I intend to create with it. That won't change. However, as I don't have a beta (or an Ideal Reader as Stephen King would put it) I'd like to know if you feel there's any obviously poor choices or plot holes that I should have caught. Sometimes you can be so enveloped in a project you don't see what's right in front of your nose. In other words: This is my first fanfic, please review!

In the end, this story is meant for fun, so enjoy!

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"_Why_, Carlisle?"

Bella's eyes were fixed on Carlisle. Her rage may have been mostly dissipated, but she still demanded an explanation from him.

"Because I care for you, you and Edward. It hurts him to not be able to give you what you ask."

"That's Edward. It doesn't hurt you." Bella would not allow him to deflect his answer onto to Edward. She'd permitted her trust for Carlisle to let him evade her questions since she'd gotten into his car. _Not this time,_ she told herself. "Why should you even be a part of this?"

"I shouldn't be. But Edward does confide in me."

"Every detail?" The question was out before she could stop it. She tried not to let herself blush.

"No." Carlisle answered her gently, trying to put her at ease. "You're perfectly justified in being upset. Bella-"

"Damn right."

"Bella. I know how precious the relationship is between you and Edward. There are things that are only meant to be shared between two people. I respect that and I am not trying to come between that."

"Your respect didn't keep you from kidnapping me. You knew that I would be angry, and rightly. Yet that didn't prevent you from hiding what this was all about until I'm stuck here in Montana with you." She looked him dead in the eye. "Carlisle, I trusted you."

Carlisle had the grace to wince. "You are right, and I am very sorry if I hurt your trust. I did think that it would be best to tell you once we'd arrived. Odd as it may sound, I figured the cabin gave you more room to vent than my Mercedes. Also, I couldn't be completely certain that you wouldn't try to jump out of a car going ninety-five miles per hour."

Bella knew herself well enough to be slightly embarrassed by the marginal truth in that last statement. After all, she had jumped off a cliff, not to mention broken her hand punching a werewolf. The embarrassment fueled her anger, and she gave in to it. Standing she walked in a slow circle, ranting to the ceiling. "Ninety-five miles per hour on a very seedy journey. God, Carlisle, you lured me out of my home under false pretenses so that you could whisk me away to your fancy cabin for a weekend of sex. With or without my consent." And she lost the high ground.

Carlisle was in front of her so fast, she hadn't even had time to think about blinking. His pale face was rigid, perfect mouth sternly set and ocher eyes bored down into her. Bella's heart stopped for a moment as she became reminded that the beautiful face before her belonged to a powerful predator. "Bella, you know me well enough not to accuse me of such a thing. I promised you no harm would come to you. Do you believe that I'd force you, that I am capable of being so depraved?"

Bella's breath came in gasps as she tried to catch her breath. Unable to tear her eyes from Carlisle's she shook her head. "No," she breathed barely audible for a human. For Carlisle, it was enough. Not breaking eye contact, he backed away from her and gentled into the Carlisle she knew and trusted. Shamed, Bella sank into the seat she had just vacated. Flying through her mind were all the times Carlisle had helped her when she was hurt, how gentle and considerate he had always been. Just a few hours earlier in the car he'd been open with her and let her offer him comfort. "Carlisle, I am sorry."

He nodded. "I know, Bella."

There was silence between them. Bella let her eyes dance around the chalet, noting the scheme of natural colors, the wooden end tables, the deep brown of the leather couch, anything but Carlisle's understanding expression. The silence still continued and it weighed on her.

"So," Bella lightly tried using some humor. "Ever been with a human before?"

Carlisle grinned. "Not since I was twenty-three."

Bella grinned back. "Better than I can boast."

"Is that what you'd want, Bella? A human?"

"No!" Bella didn't want there to be any misunderstandings. "I want Edward. I love Edward."

Carlisle eased himself onto the kitchen stool next to her, putting them both on the same level. "And I love Esme."

"Oh, God, Carlisle, what does she think of this?" Bella had wanted to ask, but was afraid to, and too pissed to find an opening.

"She approves of this weekend, because she loves you and Edward. She wants you to have a - " And he stopped, considering how to continue. "Esme's human husband abused her. Edward loves you, but he can't control whether he'll become violent. The situation isn't the same, but Esme remembers enough to not want you to have anything other than a good experience."

"So she sends me you?" Bella was trying to grasp this weird Big Chill moment.

Carlisle nodded, and Bella understood that Carlisle might be here this weekend as much as from Esme's persuading as Edward's fussing. "Esme has a very large heart. Still, she didn't originally intend to go hunting this weekend."

Bella's heart twinged sympathetically. It was immediately followed by a very red flush unmistakably making its way up her neck to her face. "Oh no. Everyone knows what this weekend was supposed to be about don't they?"

Carlisle nodded and smiled somewhat ruefully. "You could hardly hide this from Alice."

"Oh God," and Bella paled. "I'm glad I haven't decided in favor of anything. I hope she's not watching."

"Alice wouldn't deliberately pry."

Bella nodded. She had about enough for one evening. Deliberately, she allowed her herself a long yawn, which her tired body had been asking for anyway. "Speaking of Alice… Nightclothes? Place to sleep? It must be, what, two, three in the morning Montana time?"

"Of course, Bella. I'm sorry to have kept you up so long." Carlisle was immediately on his feet and leading Bella upstairs.

She followed somewhat sluggishly. When she stumbled once, Carlisle was quick to catch her again. She smiled at him sheepishly. "Nothing like working up a good mad to tire one out." His hand squeezed her arm sympathetically.

The room that Carlisle led Bella to was lacking a bed, but Alice's closet was full of clothes. "You can search and find something suitable. I'm afraid that the couch will have to serve tonight. I'll find some blankets or throws that you can use. You'll have privacy while you sleep, I can keep to my office."

"Thank you, Carlisle." She said before he removed from the room.

The problem, Bella found, with looking for pajamas in a fashionista vampire's closet was that vampires didn't sleep. Alice liked to dress very flashy and expensively. The most suitable thing Bella could find was a slip with spaghetti straps that fell to mid-calf. "I'm being maneuvered into a sexy weekend, all right," Bella muttered. And then winced, because undoubtedly Carlisle heard her.

Now that her anger was behind her, her mind began to objectively review the revelations of the evening. The drive in with Carlisle started to take on new meaning. After all, she'd found herself actually beginning to have lustful feelings towards him. Being captured in his eyes, his hand on her knee. His young god-like beauty. It had startled and alarmed her, but was it deliberate? _Had _Carlisle deliberately dazzled her? Was she his prey? Bella shook herself out of this line of thought. It led too closely parallel to the insult she'd foolishly blurted out downstairs. And he was, despite everything, still the vampire she trusted most. She was over-thinking, probably because she was so tired.

Carlisle waited for her by the living room couch. If he had any reaction to her choice of attire, he didn't show it. He held out the blankets in his hand. "These are a few throws, meant more for appearances, but they're heavy enough to keep you warm."

"They should be fine, thank you." Bella took them from him.

"There will be a real bed in here for you by tomorrow. I am sorry I didn't have one ready for you tonight. This weekend, you should know, wasn't exactly planned in the calendar all along."

Carlisle was still trying to put her at ease. He must have thought her comment upstairs resentful, and in a way she supposed it was. Bella smiled at Carlisle, truly fond of him. "Thank you." She put the blankets on one side of the couch, ready to be pulled over her when she settled in. "I'm quite sure I'll sleep well the rest of the night."

"Bella," Carlisle said softly and she turned her face back up to look at him. He was in front of her again, his face inches from hers. Her breath caught. God, he was beautiful. Every line and curve of his face, the deep golden eyes and perfect mouth drew Bella in. His scent, that musky delicious scent from the car surrounded her. She wanted to lean closer and breathe him in some more, taste the scent on his lips. She froze instead. No, she wasn't going to move forward, but she wasn't going to move back, either. Hands moving into her hair, Carlisle closed the distance, and pressed his lips to hers.

They were soft, and tasted even better than his scent had promised. Without a conscious decision, Bella moved her lips against his, exploring the sensation, and her mouth opened slightly. Carlisle took full advantage of the opening she had given him.

His kiss intensified, making her quietly gasp in surprise. Her hands flattened against his chest while his held her head in place as his mouth and tongue teased and tantalized hers. Pleasure did a fast and tingling dance up her neck, down her arms, to her toes and back up again. Bella felt her muscles go lax and her body begin to sway into Carlisle's as a part of her brain shouted: _No! This isn't right._

Carlisle gentled the kiss and stepped back. Opening her heavy lids, Bella looked at him as he softly stroked her hair back in place. "Good night, Bella. Sleep well." And he left room.

Bella stared straight ahead, not seeing, and fell onto the couch with a solid plop. Her heart pounded hard enough she could hear and feel it in her head. Her breath came in short, quick little gasps. The tingles in her body still remembered Carlisle's hands in her hair, Carlisle's tongue stroking her lips.

"Fuck."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hello everyone! Thank you so much for all your wonderful reviews and your patience as I wrote this next chapter. I'm glad so many of you are finding something you enjoy about my story.

I've got plenty more to offer you as Bella and Carlisle continue to bond. Enjoy this chapter, and please stay tuned for more!

As ever, reviews and critiques are welcome.

* * *

Bella woke up in the morning to the sound of raindrops. Surprise. Even leaving Forks she can't get away from the rain. Stretching under the blankets Bella thought that she found the sound rather soothing. She looked out across the room to the window.

Slipping off of the couch Bella crossed over to look at the view. It was lovely, despite the light drizzle. Trees dotted and surrounded the house, but didn't completely obscure the sight of the lake. The water was calm and stretched out far, to the edge of low mountains running across the horizon. Bella could see more trees on other edges of the lake and imagined that there were more cabins there. Here, with no neighbors immediately in view, it seemed the Cullens found a spot that secured privacy.

Bella reflected on the previous night, no longer overtired. Edward and Carlisle, both were participants in maneuvering her into Montana: Edward by intent and design, Carlisle by consent and deed. Her resentment still minutely burned towards Edward. He had made the choice for her, hadn't respected her to be capable of making her own decision. This was not the first time he had done this, though it was by far the most drastic.

Her heart ached a little bit for what had been lost between them. He had decided to give her up to someone else, and she had needed to let go of her desires to sleep with him.

Then there was Carlisle. Bella didn't feel any resentment towards him, and it actually didn't surprise her. The dynamic between the two of them was completely different. Carlisle might not have told her the truth from the outset, but he was treating her fairly. She felt respected and on equal standing with him. Which was just as well, since she had to rely on him to get her home again.

The drizzle was beginning to slow down and the sun was valiantly trying to find a thin cloud to shine through. It was nice to be somewhere new, where she didn't have to worry about temperamental werewolves or vengeful vampires around the corner. She could just be somewhere that life was normal and feel human. Bella was struck with a crazy impulse.

Grinning, Bella bolted for the front door and sailed down the porch. Pelting down through the trees and onto a small path, Bella was very careful to be sure of her footing, to use her momentum to keep her going down the hill. As she reached the shore she ran down the dock and dived into the lake.

The cool water welcomely enveloped her, not giving as much of a shock as Bella had expected. She thrust her arms before her and pushed the water back, propelling forward into the lake. Breaking the surface, Bella gasped for air, and gloried in the freedom she felt. Bella spent several minutes at hard breaststrokes before she rolled over onto her back. Lazily kicking her legs and closing her eyes against the tapering light drizzle that hit her face, Bella let out a long exhale.

Carlisle had kissed her and Bella was still stunned that it had happened. It had come out of nowhere and pleasure-shocked her system. Bella wondered if she would have been so acquiescent if she hadn't been so tired. And why had Carlisle done it? Sure, he'd explained that he cared for her and Edward, and Bella knew that Esme had encouraged him to be here this weekend. But why would Carlisle agree? If the situation had been reversed, and Edward and Esme had come to her and asked her to bed Carlisle, she wouldn't have simply answered "Why, of course."

Neither would he, Bella determined, rolling in the water and swimming back towards shore. No, Carlisle had more explaining to do. Damn it, she'd let him evade her question again. How was she so easily distracted? Bella immediately stopped being hard on herself. There had been a lot to take in last night, and she hadn't exactly been at her best.

As Bella walked back up to the house she realized one of the consequences of her impulsive dive. She was soaked through, in a thin slip that clung to her like a second skin. She would have to walk through the chalet, dripping over everything to get to the towels in the bathroom. She silently began to curse herself for her thoughtlessness when something caught her eye. On the porch, in the seat of the wooden Adirondack chair beside the door were two plush towels. Carlisle.

Bella grabbed the first and immediately patted down where she was dripping most before wrapping it around her body. Bella wrapped the other around her hair and entered. Rushing to keep the damage to the floors at a minimum, Bella found her way up the stairs to the bathroom only slightly slipping once. She was thankful that she knew the shower would function.

Bella hurried through the hot shower, as she was anxious to get cleaned up and dressed so that she could confront Carlisle. Going through Alice's closet again she found a yoga outfit that would suit her. Good thing Alice must have gone through a fitness wear phase, because no way was Bella putting on a designer dress.

Intending to seek him in his office, Bella instead found Carlisle in the kitchen, preparing her breakfast.

"Good morning." He greeted her with a smile. He looked unruffled and gorgeous, and Bella's blood started to heat at the sight of him. Her mind may not have accepted Carlisle as a potential mate, but her body most definitely had an opinion.

"Morning," she responded, a little abashed. "Um, thank you for the towels."

Carlisle nodded in acknowledgement and Bella slid onto a seat. Her initial intentions towards a confrontation dwindled. How was she supposed to open that up? _Carlisle, I demand to know why you kissed me last night._ Ugh.

"You're cooking?" she asked him instead, playing it safe for now.

"Strawberry crepes." He turned and grinned at her charmingly. "It's been awhile since I've cooked anything. I hope it passes muster."

"It looks delicious," Bella assured him, and she wasn't lying. "How did the food get here?"

"I managed to go into town and pick up a few things. I also put in a bed for you upstairs."

There it was: an innocent remark about accommodating her that Bella would not have thought twice to hear Carlisle say before this weekend. Now, however, it held for her all kinds of connotations that before yesterday she never would have dreamed. The door was open; she had to walk through it.

"Carlisle, why on earth did you agree to take me away for the weekend?"

Carlisle stopped what he was doing. "Do you mean to Montana?"

"You're hedging." Bella called him out. "Please stop and answer me. I need to know."

Carlisle turned the burner off before facing Bella. "You're right to ask. I have every intention of being open with you, Bella." There was a sense of resolve in his demeanor, and she knew that she was right. He did have more to tell her. "I meant everything I said to you in the car yesterday, Bella."

"About what?" Confused, Bella tried to remember what he had said during the drive in that pertained to her question.

Carlisle moved closer to Bella, his eyes on hers. He wasn't dazzling her, but there was an intense honesty in his gaze that Bella found compelling. "About admiring you, about caring for you, about believing you're worth spending time with."

Bella was dumbstruck. Carlisle couldn't be saying what she thought she heard him saying. Carlisle placed his hand on her shoulder and spoke to her gently. "I am not being romantic, Bella, just sincere."

"I'm not sure I understand." Bella was embarrassed at being confused, but felt she had to be honest.

"You have many shining qualities about you, Bella, that you'd be able to see if you weren't so unsure of yourself: your courage, your selflessness and the way you care for others. These are all things that I find attractive about you. I wanted this chance to become closer with you, to befriend you. So, yes, I agreed to this weekend for more reasons than I already told you. I agreed to this weekend because part of me wanted to give you what was asked of me." Bella swallowed, taking in what Carlisle was telling her. She knew that a flush had risen to her cheeks as he was talking, but she couldn't do anything about it.

Carlisle moved his hand down from her shoulder, stroking her upper arm, and continued to explain. "I am not here to make you fall in love with me. I won't do anything that you're uncomfortable with. Nothing will happen this weekend without your consent. This means, Bella, that you're under no obligation to take me as a lover."

"No pressure." Sarcasm as a defense mechanism was an easy route for Bella to fall back on.

"No pressure," Carlisle replied with emphasis and sincerity. He took a step back. "Let me finish getting your breakfast ready."

Bella nodded her consent, relieved that he'd let up a bit. The moment had become too intense for her. Now that she'd gotten her answer from Carlisle she didn't know what to do with it. Hunger pinched her stomach, making her thankful that Carlisle had resumed preparing breakfast.

"Thanks for cooking for me. You don't really have to, you know."

"I don't mind." He turned and smiled at her. "Besides you need to eat something before your stomach really starts complaining."

Bella looked down at herself. Her stomach, she knew, had definitely not growled. Just pinched a little bit, which wasn't surprising, as she hadn't eaten in hours. "You can _hear_ that?"

Carlisle chuckled. "I am a doctor, with a few centuries to train my ear."

"Please, stop listening. I don't think I like the idea of you hearing my digestive system."

Carlisle laughed again. "As you wish."

Bella sat comfortably again. This was a return to the kind of interaction between them she was prepared to handle. She was content to look at Carlisle again as the friend he had been and one she was fast becoming closer to. Outside of the circumstances that had brought them there, she did feel that they were bonding. As she accepted a plate of crepes from him, she recalled that Carlisle had outright said those very things only a few moments earlier.

"Carlisle," Bella broached carefully, "last night you told me that you'd been with someone when you were twenty-three. Did you have someone important in your life when you were attacked?"

"No," Carlisle answered. "Not significantly at least. But I was still a man with experience."

"I'm glad." Bella answered after swallowing, and then quickly clarified her response. "I would hate to think that you had left a loved one behind."

Carlisle looked at her. "There was my father."

Bella stiffened for a moment. Of course, how could she have forgotten? "I'm sorry."

"My father and I may not have seen eye to eye, may not have even been on good terms. But I did love him." Carlisle sat down across from her. "The three days I spent changing were not only hard because of the pain from the venom. It was hard because I was becoming the very thing my father believed to be the devil's curse upon the world. How could I face him again? In the same night that I had finally proven my worth by uncovering a genuine coven, I became the monster itself."

"Carlisle, you are not a monster." The very thought brought Bella's back up and she covered her hands with his to underscore her emphasis.

Carlisle laughed, bringing her hands up to his mouth to lightly kiss them. "I know that now, sweet Bella." He released her hands and she tilted her chin up to look at him. "That doesn't change the emotions I went through in that period, the horror of what I'd become, the grief from losing my father in a way that I had never imagined possible."

Bella felt for him, had never truly understood before how miserable those first days must have been for Carlisle. She knew from Edward that Carlisle had loathed himself, had tried to kill himself in several different ways. It seemed so incongruous: the vision she now had in her head of the newly turned grieving and afflicted creature against the assured, warm-hearted Carlisle that stood before her. She was touched by it, feeling both amazed and proud of him for the journey he had taken.

"You've come a long way."

"Yes," Carlisle agreed. "When the time comes for you, Bella, I believe the journey won't be as painful. I am happy for you."

Bella looked down at her plate, and forked some more crepes into her mouth. She never liked being reminded of how it would affect Charlie and Renee when the time came for her transformation. She had just refused to dwell on it, willingly blinded by her need to be with Edward. Yet Carlisle was making her realize that separating her life from her parents will affect her as much as them.

"I hope it doesn't hurt them too much, Charlie and Mom." She had spoken to her plate, but then looked up at Carlisle. He smiled understandingly. "At least I'll still be able to see them, occasionally."

"Which is more than the rest of us had."

Bella nodded, she really was more at advantage than the rest of the Cullens had been when their changes came. She finished off her food. "Carlisle, these crepes were delicious. Seriously. For as long as I'm human I elect you as my personal chef." She grinned at him.

He grinned back at her, and before she could even catch on to what was happening, he'd taken and washed her dishes.

"Whoa. Why the rush?"

Carlisle smiled brilliantly at her. "I want to take you somewhere. Are you willing to come?"


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hello all! And I nervously present you: chapter 6! When I originally conceived this story this chapter did not exist. But after the impulsive end to Chapter 5 I couldn't resist. _A lot _of good things happen here, most of which this story could not do without. I really hope you enjoy it!

I've posted a link to my profile of images from Glacier National Park. At the top of that page there's another link "more mountains" which I would also recommend you checking out. Imagine, if you will, a combination of these views as what Carlisle and Bella see on their cliff.

And for those of you precious readers who are "forget the bonding, get to the boinking" there's sexy stuff in here for you, too. And I promise to fully deliver in the next chapter.

Finally and most importantly, thanks again for all your reviews! It means a lot that so many of you are caught up in my story. Feel free to continue to comment. ~fingers crossed~ Enjoy!

* * *

It was a drive of barely ten minutes when Carlisle parked the car on the side of a little-traveled dirt road that cut a weaving path through tall green forest. As Bella began to get out, Carlisle was instantly opening the door for her. Looking up, she accepted his hand and stepped out of the Mercedes, shrugging on the jacket she had brought with her.

Carlisle smiled at her, clearly anticipating their journey. "I'm glad you agreed to come. We can hardly be so close to such beauty and not take advantage."

Bella smiled and nodded in return, enjoying this new side of Carlisle. He had used the same argument when he had proposed taking a few hours out of the morning to show her Glacier National Park. She had agreed, knowing that she wasn't likely to see Big Sky Country again, leastways not with human eyes. It was also a chance to get away from the pressure being in that cabin was putting on her.

"We're running from here." Carlisle reached out his arm to her, waiting for her permission. Bella grasped his hand and was pulled onto his back.

Bella had become somewhat accustomed to the high-speed trek of a vampire running through the woods. There was no sound to betray footfalls as Carlisle ran them both through the thickset trees. Never once did it seem as though they would crash. It was almost as though the trees parted to allow Carlisle through. The sensation was elating, and Bella closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against the back of Carlisle's neck. Bella's head became a little lighter as the path he was taking became noticeably steeper.

"Where are we going, exactly?" she whispered to him, pressing her lips to his ear so that she could speak without getting any backwash from their speed.

"Right now we're on a small mountain along the outside edge of the park. I'm bringing you just about to the top."

"Oh, is that all?" was Bella's wry response.

Hearing Carlisle chuckle in response, Bella could almost feel it reverberate into her through his back. "You'll see when we get there."

Bella nodded once, and returned to pressing her face against him, eyes closed, legs wrapped around him. She could feel the tingling sensations along her spine as Carlisle brought her higher and higher.

After several minutes, Carlisle slowed his pace, which allowed Bella the chance to gradually regain feeling and control of her limbs. When Carlisle came to a stop Bella was able to release herself without assistance. The trees were more thinly spread where they stood, an opening clearly just beyond them. Carlisle turned to her.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine." Curls of light mist formed and quickly dissolved from her mouth as she spoke. Bella began to stretch her arms and legs briefly. "Just give me a moment, please." Carlisle waited patiently, and then grasped her hand when she was done.

"Come look," he said softly, eagerness in his eyes.

Bella allowed Carlisle to move her forward through the trees to the opening, and her mouth fell open.

They were on a precipice overlooking more mountains than Bella had ever seen in one spectacular view. Many were taller than the one on which she stood, snowy white caps crowning their majesty. Others were crested in deep green forest. Creeks and lakes in the lower elevations glistened ever so subtly. Everywhere Bella turned she saw more of the glacier-carved mountains, trees and lakes. It was the most beautiful and captivating display of nature she had ever seen. Bella deeply inhaled the brisk air, breathing in the awesome spectacle before her.

"Carlisle, it's - it's amazing." She spoke to him without turning, her eyes still drinking everything in.

"I am very glad you like it." There was no mistaking the pleasure in Carlisle's tone. "Few people have ever been here. As you can imagine, it's too dangerous for tourists. I'm happy to be able to share this with you."

"Thank you for bringing me." Bella turned to make eye contact with Carlisle to express her sincerity, and her breath was caught.

The sun shone where she and Carlisle stood, able to break free with less cloud cover. It may have been more than a year that she had known Carlisle and what he was, but this was the first time she had ever seen him in the sunlight.

Prisms of light danced all over his skin, reflecting the sun. She had seen sunlight on vampire skin before, so it wasn't this that surprised Bella so much as the effect it created. Carlisle _glowed_ beauty. It was as though he had his own luminescence shining around him. Without the sun his face was beautiful, but now Bella found it truly mesmeric.

A sharp pang hit Bella as she was reminded of her first reaction to seeing Edward in the sun. It was her first true moment of other-worldliness, and it was the moment that cemented her love for Edward. From there, her life was never the same. Here she was again, witness to the extraordinary. How had it come to be in her life that she would find herself in such remarkable company? She stood on a precipice with a breathtaking spread of nature before her, beside a creature that was nature glorified. Bella didn't understand how she -clumsy, plain and not particularly special- was able to witness such exceptional beauty, something people had rarely ever seen.

"Bella . . ." Carlisle frowned at her. Bella turned from him, not wanting her thoughts to betray themselves on her face. She was too late; Carlisle came to her side, and lightly placing a finger under her chin, turned her back towards him. "What's wrong?"

Bella looked up into his seraphic face and hesitated.

Carlisle didn't release her gaze. "Tell me."

Bella sighed, and then the words came rushing out of her. "This place is beautiful, you're beautiful, your entire family is beautiful. I don't understand what I'm doing here, how I got to be here. I came to Forks to make my mother happy and suddenly I'm swept up in this life of the extraordinary. I fell in love and then everything changed. For the past year my life has been one large whirlwind of crisis and excitement…fear, numbness, and beauty. So much beauty. I just don't know how this life chose me. How _I_ became a part of all this."

Carlisle wrapped his arm around her shoulders and guided her towards the ground. Bella sat, looking down, and Carlisle kept his arm in place.

"You've certainly had more in your life than most people do," Carlisle began. "You have every right to feel overwhelmed."

Bella nodded and continued to look at the ground, twisting her fingers. Carlisle brushed a lock of hair away from her eyes. "Correct me if I'm wrong, Bella, but what seems to be bothering you right now is that you feel unworthy of all the good things that have come out of it."

Bella still couldn't look up at him. His arm around her brought closeness to him that caused her stomach to tighten. Yet she was more preoccupied with the vulnerability she'd just exposed. These were emotions that she hadn't quite realized that she even had. How had Carlisle drawn this out of her?

"Bella," Carlisle was strongly insistent. "You should never, ever, question your own worth."

Bella still didn't look up. Her fingers drew lines in the dirt before her. Carlisle sighed, withdrawing his arm. Bella continued making swirls in the dirt, not saying a thing.

"I make that same mistake, more often than I should."

This made Bella raise her eyes, only Carlisle was no longer looking at her. He was looking down, knees drawn up, his arms resting on them. "I frequently second guess myself. The day we played baseball, for instance, if I had made a different decision, had Edward take you away, perhaps James would never have targeted you. A myriad of things resulted from that decision, Bella." Looking at her wrists, Carlisle ran a finger along her scar. "You suffered, your father and mother went through unnecessary hurt and worry, and my family destroyed a life."

Carlisle withdrew his hand and shook his head. "And from that, many more lives were lost because of Victoria's revenge."

"You couldn't have predicted that, Carlisle." Bella was uncertain how to deal with him. She'd never seen Carlisle quite this exposed.

"No, I couldn't." He made eye contact with her now, and Bella felt the connection and meaning he was trying to give to her. "I simply made the best choice I could. Sometimes I do not know whether I deserve this life filled with loved ones and such responsibility. I experience fear and uncertainty, as well as excitement. I feel blessed with the beauty of it all, Bella. The point is that I am doing the best I can with the life, extraordinary or otherwise, that God has graced me with. So are you."

Bella looked away. "It's not the same thing."

"I would have made the same choices, if I were in your shoes."

This statement drew her eyes once again to Carlisle's. He smiled at her, one corner of his mouth turned up as he cupped her cheek in his hand. "I would've tried to save my family if they were threatened, like you saved your parents from James. If I had lost Esme the way that you thought you lost Edward, I wouldn't even begin to know how to cope. Then you turned right around and saved Edward's life for all of us." His smile was full of affection. "You and I are very similar, you know."

Bella just looked at him, hearing his words, but uncertain if she was able to believe him. Carlisle laughed softly at her expression. She frowned at him, baffled at his reaction. "What's so funny?"

"You." Carlisle laughed again. "Struggling to accept yourself. Perhaps I shouldn't laugh, but it's like a kitten not believing it can purr, or a bird that it can fly." Carlisle stroked her chin with his thumb as she continued to stare at him, bemused. "Believe in yourself, sweet Bella. I do." He released her.

Bella didn't know what to think. She didn't seem to be able to hide her self-doubt from Carlisle, and he was consistently urging her to think more of herself. Rather than explore these thoughts further, Bella took a different tack. Looking back towards the view, she asked Carlisle, "Were you and Esme here often when you lived in the area?"

"When we could be," Carlisle nodded, also looking out over the view. "Living in the area does present more obligations. I worked at both the hospital in Kalispell and the one in Whitefish. Finding time to just be here with Esme was a rare treat."

Bella continued to look out over the mountains. Thinking of how much time Esme had to spend without Carlisle made her wonder if she could do the same for Edward. She didn't think she could. Personal space on an occasional weekend was one thing, but otherwise she felt the need to be with him as much as possible.

Looking down again, Bella wiped her hand across the designs she had drawn earlier, erasing them. The ache from his betrayal this weekend came back to her. She had forgiven him, she knew, but that didn't erase the sense of loss she felt.

Carlisle was watching her, seeming to guess her thoughts. "Thinking of Edward?"

She nodded.

"You did give in to Edward fairly easily on the phone last night."

Bella lifted her hands, palms up. "I'm a stupid lamb."

"Lamb?"

"Never mind. I don't want to talk about Edward."

Carlisle said nothing, but he wrapped his arm around her again, pulling her against him. Bella let her head fall against his shoulder as he rubbed her back. Sighing, she closed her eyes and let him comfort her. It felt good to be pressed up against him. Carlisle's arms and chest conveyed strength as well as support. The cool touch of his skin through his shirt soothed her, as much as the musky scent of him made her feel warm inside.

Carlisle's hand continued to rub her, kneading the muscles in her shoulder. She let out a contented grunt as the muscle gave beneath his pressure. She could feel his breath moving her hair as he leaned his chin against the top of her head. Starting to move up her neck, Carlisle's fingers brushed the curve where it met her shoulder. Dancing, tantalizing tingles of pleasure shot through her body with sudden and unexpected strength, causing Bella to involuntarily gasp. Carlisle's hand stilled and her eyes flew up to meet his. He had definitely noticed the reaction he had just caused in her.

An unanswered question from the previous night leapt to the forefront of Bella's mind. "Do you want me, Carlisle?" she asked before she lost her nerve. "Are you deliberately trying to seduce me?"

Carlisle's eyes remained locked on hers, and she thought their color had deepened. "I wouldn't have agreed if I didn't think I was capable of wanting you, Bella." The words were spoken softly.

"And when I got in your car," Bella began, her eyes searching his, wanting this deeper understanding of his motivations. "Did you try to make me feel the same for you?"

"Nothing is against your will, Bella." Carlisle was adamant. "But I did . . . put out suggestions. I needed to know if there was something there." Carlisle lifted a finger, and stroked it across her lips. "If I try to seduce you, Bella, you won't have any doubt. The question is, do you want me?"

It was too much. Bella had brought the topic up and had backed herself into a corner. She wasn't ready for this conversation. "Have you done this before?" she deflected. "Have you been with someone other than Esme since you married her?"

Carlisle pulled back, accepting her withdrawal. "No," he answered simply. "Unless you count the Summer of Love in 1967. Esme and I both had quite a few lovers then, vampire and human."

Bella was wide-eyed and slack-jawed. "But I thought you said-" she stopped when she noticed the flash in Carlisle's eyes. "You're teasing me!"

Laughter burst from Carlisle, and Bella started pummeling his shoulder with her fists. "That's not funny!" Carlisle lifted his hands in surrender against her blows, still laughing.

"There was this one German woman, Hertha, very hairy."

"Stop it." She changed tactics and tried to pinch him instead, never succeeding in getting past his blocking hands. Looking at him smile Bella realized something she'd never seen before. Carlisle was just a man who enjoyed his life, and could find things to laugh about. This drew others to him as much as his wisdom and compassion. Carlisle wasn't awe-inspiring; he was a likeable good soul. Easing off, Bella kept her tone sharp and accusing. "Now I know where Emmett gets it. Hippie."

"'She speaks poniards.'" Carlisle took her hands and lifted her to her feet, chuckling. Bella grinned back at him, inexplicably pleased at being reminded that Carlisle was an avid reader.

Bella looked around, back towards the view. She felt good inside, and was glad at how it made her feel more appreciative of this rare sight. "Truly, Carlisle, thank you for bringing me here. I really am glad that you shared this with me."

Carlisle also turned and stepped away from her, closer to the ledge. His eyes contained a far away look. "Very few things of nature are so beautiful. I am glad that this is being preserved."

Taking a deep breath he turned towards Bella and took hold of her hands again, golden eyes gleaming. "You know, there's something that you, Esme and I have in common."

"Um, what's that?"

Carlisle looked back over the cliff, and then back at her, grinning. "How about you embrace your life, Bella? Become a part of the beauty with me."

"What?" Bella laughed, still not cluing in to what Carlisle was trying to convey. Then, as Carlisle continued to grin mischievously at her, she looked back at the ledge and the view. And the drop.

"Oh, no." She took a step back, but didn't withdraw her hands. "Are you serious?"

Carlisle started stepping away from the precipice, closer to the woods, as though to gain some momentum. "It'll be more liberating than a dive into cool morning lake water."

Bella hesitated, not refusing. She was actually considering his crazy idea.

Carlisle's hands tightened around hers. "Do you trust me?"

Bella let out a loud laugh. "Yeah," she nodded.

Carlisle had her on his back again in a blink. And in the next instant he was running towards the edge, leaping with grace.

A tiny instinctive shriek escaped from Bella as she and Carlisle left the ground, becoming airborne.

Bella had her arms wrapped around Carlisle's neck and shoulders, holding on for dear life. Her body was plastered to his, the force of the downward freefall making her abdomen and legs press against his body as though they were two halves of the same person.

The world rushed around her in a blur. First nothing but big open sky, then on the periphery smudges of brown and green mixed with the blue-white. Bella squeezed her eyes shut, the onslaught of rushing air as she looked over Carlisle's shoulder making them water. She opened them again, and could decidedly make out the tops of trees. She let out a second shriek, knowing the jolt that was about to happen.

Carlisle's left hand came around and gripped the back of Bella's thigh, keeping her pressed to him. If Bella could have made her grip around Carlisle any tighter she would have as he reached his right arm out. The halt came, but it was a smooth stop, not the jerking she expected. Carlisle had grabbed a bough on one of the trees, and his legs came around it. Consequently, Bella's followed as his left hand was holding her leg to him. They remained perfectly still, Bella breathing against Carlisle's neck. Slowly she recovered her ability to think, though her adrenaline was still pumping.

"Carlisle!" she exclaimed, exhilarated.

"You doing alright?" he asked, turning and grinning at her.

"Oh my god," was all Bella could think to say.

"Ready to get down?"

Bella nodded and made certain her grip on him was tight. Hand under hand Carlisle skimmed down the tree until they made it to ground. Bella immediately let go and fell to her back with a loud grunt. She looked up at Carlisle standing over her and laughed wearily. He grinned back down at her. As Bella gazed at him, she felt a need to pull him closer. Melting sensations from her abdomen agreed with the thought. Bella closed her eyes.

"Don't ask me to move for a bit, okay?" she said to him.

He nodded and laid himself down next to her, looking back up towards the trees and sky. Linking his fingers with hers, he brought her hand to his lips and lightly kissed her fingertips. Bella squeezed his hand, grateful for the casual affection.

"Once you're recovered I'll run you back. It's time for you to get some lunch."

"You're not supposed to be listening." Bella sighed, and stared up at the trees. "I can't believe we just came from there." Letting go of Carlisle's hand she groaned and pushed herself up. "Let's go, please."

Carlisle was on his feet before her, and helped her up. For a moment they stood face to face before Carlisle turned and shifted her onto his back. Eyes closed and head tucked in, Bella once again pressed against him, feeling his cool back, muscles moving beneath her. It was delicious, and Bella's mind accepted something her body already knew. Something that had been pushing at her since she'd slid into his car Friday afternoon: she wanted him.


	7. Chapter 7

She wanted him. She wanted him she wanted him she wanted him. It was a mantra that her body repeated over and over. Bella couldn't stand it. It was as though her nerves were on alert, hypersensitive to anything and everything Carlisle. At that moment he was downstairs in the kitchen while she stood just outside of the shower, holding the yoga pants in her hands.

She had gone straight upstairs to shower and change after their nature walk. She'd already removed her shirt and pants when the scent caught her. The clothes she'd been wearing smelled like him. After all, her legs and been wrapped around him and plastered to him most of their trip. Instead of immediately getting into the shower, she found herself standing with a pair of pants pressed to her face, breathing in his scent as her body yearned for the source of it.

And she could have him. All she had to do was say yes. Weak-kneed at the thought, Bella sat down on the toilet. This was Carlisle she was thinking about. She was actually considering having sex with Carlisle. The thought sent shivers down the backs of her legs, pleasurable and guilty.

Impulsively, she yanked the pant leg back on. Having been carried by Carlisle, she didn't really get dirty. She could just go downstairs and tell him that she changed her mind about the shower. Pausing as she started to shimmy the pants back on, Bella made a quick reversal. She yanked them off again and kicked them away from her. What was she thinking? That she'd wear the clothes because they smelled like him?

Upset with herself, Bella stepped into the shower and turned it on. Hot, hotter. Bella turned the nozzle so that the water was as hot as it could go. As steam filled the glass and porcelain enclosure, she soaked herself under the heavy spray, running her hands along her hair. Carlisle. Carlisle's hands in her hair, his lips on hers. Carlisle's hands moving down from her head, running over her, pulling her closer.

Bella opened her eyes, breathing heavily. Her whole body was turned on, aching for the fantasy that she'd just unwittingly played in her mind. Yet it wasn't all fantasy; he'd kissed her last night. God, she'd had a taste of him. Bella closed her eyes again, remembering every detail of what had happened. The hot water beat down on the top of her head, slipping over every inch of her.

It wasn't helping. Bella fumbled for the nozzle, turning the water down. _A cold shower was a cliché for a reason_, she mused.

As the temperature cooled, Bella put her hands on the wall, leaning her forehead against it. _Edward,_ she thought, _why did you do this to me?_

Bella returned to the kitchen wearing a set of Ralph Lauren clothing -a less intimidating label than those in Italian- that normally she wouldn't have gone near. Sliding onto one of the kitchen stools, she brushed her wet hair away from her face.

"Salad?" she asked Carlisle.

Having already prepped the simple lunch, Carlisle placed the salad bowl and sandwich plate in front of her. As before, he looked completely unruffled. "Not every meal can be as decadent as crepes if you're going to keep your food balanced."

Bella rolled her eyes dramatically before biting into the sandwich. "I wasn't aware that I came downstairs to speak with my nutritionist."

"I did dip the remaining strawberries in chocolate for your dessert."

Bella coughed on a mouthful of lettuce. "Are you kidding?"

Sweeping open the refrigerator door, Carlisle displayed the tray of fruit cooling on the top rack. "I take my strawberries very seriously, Bella."

Bella couldn't help but return his grin. So completely comfortable in his company, she now found him to be rather charismatic. Her eyes danced over him as she continued to nibble her lunch. If one of the intended benefits of this weekend was to know Carlisle better, she certainly had succeeded. It did feel as though he was letting her in, opening himself up to her.

She also believed she understood now why he had kissed her last night. It was as she'd randomly thought earlier, in the shower. He'd given her a taste, wanting her to know what it might be like to be intimate with him. Two people he cared about had asked him for this favor; he was obligated to them to try. Being Carlisle, he'd want Bella to make up her mind fully certain. So he'd pressed his suit before she could refuse, and then left before she could react, leaving her to absorb the moment.

Her focus on him did not go unnoticed by Carlisle. He moved to stand beside her. "Bella, there are a million thoughts going on behind your eyes right now. Care to share them?"

Bella grinned coyly at him as she licked dressing off her fork. "I was thinking that I've grown fonder of you. That's one."

Carlisle reached out and stroked the tips of her fingers with his own. They felt smooth and comforting, and Bella allowed her fingers to play with his before sliding them between and holding his hand. "I've always been fond of you, Bella. I'm glad you feel more comfortable with me."

They smiled at each other. "And thought number two?" Carlisle asked.

"That wasn't exactly fair, you know, what you did last night."

Carlisle immediately picked up on her meaning and chuckled. "Perhaps not. But now I think you can make a more informed decision for yourself."

"And if I asked you to drive me back to Forks after lunch?"

Carlisle nodded, and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "I wouldn't hesitate."

Bella smiled at him again, but her expression was a bit more thoughtful. She withdrew her hand from his and stood up. Looking away from him, she gave a loud sigh and turned back. "I don't know what I want right now. You've got me all confused."

"I'm sorry."

"No. No, it's not your fault. I mean that I'm confused because I'm enjoying this. I'm enjoying spending time with you, and we're connecting somehow. But it's not-" Bella stopped, looked down at her hands and cleared her throat, searching for the words. "It's companionable." She looked back up at Carlisle, into his exquisite countenance and alluring eyes. "And it's sexy as hell. But it's not true love. We both have that elsewhere."

Carlisle moved forward again, and lightly grasped her wrist. Bella allowed him to tug her closer, and closed her eyes when he cradled her face. "Bella." She looked up at him and into his eyes. She didn't allow herself to sink, but held onto the edge, examining the sincerity and affection on the face of her friend. "I think that what you've just described is as perfect as it could be for us in this situation. I have no qualms about taking you to bed, if you wish it. We'll both be able to walk away from this without feeling shame. I will give you nothing to regret. All you need, Bella, is to trust me." Carlisle leaned in and spoke even more softly. "Do you trust me?"

Bella nodded and her eyelids half closed. "Yes," she whispered.

The kiss was soft, tender. Bella allowed herself to lean into it, to gently let her mouth explore and caress his. Lifting her hand, she slipped it behind Carlisle's head, into his hair, as she lightly used her tongue to part his lips. He welcomed her, gentle, sweet and slowly stroking. Bella withdrew carefully, breaking the kiss. Her forehead rested against his for a second before she stepped back.

Carlisle's kind eyes smiled at her, and he pulled aside her stool. "You should finish eating."

Bella nodded and sat down. "I don't want to miss out on those strawberries."

As Bella ate, she and Carlisle chatted briefly about the medical reading he'd been able to fit in while she slept during the night. Most of it was above her head, but Bella was competent enough in her sciences to have a basic understanding.

By the time Bella finished off the last of her lunch, there was silence between her and Carlisle. She looked over at him, leaning against the countertop, arms crossed, having patiently waited for her to finish.

"Here, let me take those for you." He crossed over to her and picked up the dishes.

"Oh, um, sure." Bella assented. The nervous fluttering in her stomach made her wish she hadn't so recently eaten. "I could wash them myself this time, though." Realizing how very much he'd done to assist her over the last twenty-four hours gave Bella a wave of guilt. "Carlisle, you've spent a lot of this weekend cooking for me, cleaning up after me, making sure that I'm accommodated. You really don't have to service me."

Carlisle looked back over to her from the sink where he'd just deposited the dishes and quirked an eyebrow.

_Shit_, Bella thought, realizing too late her bad choice of words. Now that she'd finished her lunch she just didn't know how to get around the elephant in the room.

"Better yet," Bella blurted, "I think I'd like to go for another swim." She pushed herself off of the kitchen stool and started to head out of the kitchen towards the stairs.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Bella." Carlisle interrupted her, his voice colored with amusement.

"What? Why?" Bella stopped and looked back towards him.

Smiling, Carlisle tilted his head towards the window. Bella turned towards where he'd gestured, and felt like a fool. It was raining very steadily outside. She hadn't noticed.

Cool arms circled around her waist as Carlisle came up behind her. He pulled her back against him, holding on to her tenderly as he bent to whisper into her ear. "Please, Bella, don't go swimming just now."

Bella leaned against the hard chest pressed to her back and closed her eyes, commanding her breathing to slow. The same couldn't be done for her heartbeat. It continued its rapid pace even as Bella transitioned from nervousness to arousal. Bella felt Carlisle's arms and chest tighten with intention as he kissed the top of her head, and slowly worked his lips lower. She tilted her head to the side, allowing him access to his path as his lips touched her temple.

One of his arms came up to just below her collarbone, and her hands tightened around it as Carlisle took her earlobe between his teeth and gave a gentle tug. Bella groaned and felt as though she would slide to the floor were it not for the grip they had on each other. Bella turned her face towards Carlisle, looking up at him from under heavy lids. Carlisle loosened his arms just enough to tilt her back so that his lips could meet hers.

Bella allowed her senses to cloud with the touch, smell and taste of him as she returned his kiss. Desiring more, she strained against his mouth. Carlisle gentled and moved back from her lips a fraction. Bella turned in his arms, facing him, and wrapped her hand around his neck, pulling him back to her. She pressed against him, blood pounding, and kissed him with a release of every pent up frustration she had within her.

Carlisle's arms held onto her, one on her back, the other sliding down to grip her bottom, pulling her tightly against him. Bella moaned and tangled her hands into his hair, plastering herself to his hard body as her tongue and lips danced with his, teasing, biting. She let her lips trail down, kissed his chin, his jaw, licking just underneath. She could feel Carlisle inhale, even as her breaths came in short quick gasps. She kissed his throat, one hand quickly releasing the top buttons of his shirt. Lips lingering at his clavicle, she stroked her fingers down over his exposed skin.

"Bella," Carlisle looked down at her, eyes dark even as her own were glazed over. "Are you certain? You can still walk away."

Bella looked up at Carlisle, eyes searching his. "So can you," she replied and kissed him again before he could respond, not quite ready yet to let him withdraw. His hands immediately came up into her hair, holding her head as he kissed her back. Then he pulled away, taking a step back, but keeping hold of her.

"Bella, please, answer me." This time his eyes searched hers.

She took a half-step closer, leaving him an opening. She placed both hands on his shoulders. "I've made my decision."

Swooping Bella up into his arms, Carlisle swiftly carried her upstairs.

He brought her into a new room she hadn't seen. There was minimal decor in the cedar-walled room, dominated by the queen size bed fitted with ivory satin sheets.

Carlisle laid her on the bed, and positioned himself beside her, propping himself up on his left arm. Their bodies pressed against each other, Bella's head against his shoulder, their legs interwoven. Mutual affection made the position comforting as much as it was intimate. Carlisle stroked her arm, and Bella nestled in against his strong cool chest. She looked up at him and he stroked her cheek tenderly before leaning down and claiming her lips.

There was no hesitation as his lips pressed hers apart, tongue moving and caressing. Carlisle was her lover, and his mouth was staking claim of hers, now familiar territory. Bella returned the need, taking as much of him as she could, passion building a rapid ascent inside her. Carlisle was hers now, too. Their lips broke apart and met again with fierce determination over and over. They both breathed, Bella drowning in his intoxicating musky scent, kicking up her desire.

_This is Carlisle_, her mind rejoiced with her body as they kissed. _Carlisle holding me, kissing me._ Bella was hot and wet, yearning for him. She was giving herself to him, and she knew with absolute certainty that he was going to take her.

Take her. Unbidden, Bella found herself outside the moment, her thoughts moving ahead of the rest of her. She stilled her lips and buried her face against Carlisle's chest. His arms stayed around her, holding her, and he lowered his chin to rest against the top of her head. She exhaled warmth against his chest, taking comfort and support in him. For a moment she just stayed there, breathing, hearing the rain downpour against the roof. Carlisle placed a long, gentle kiss on the top of her head. She arched her neck back to look at him, not moving from her snuggled position.

His eyes looked down into hers. The warm golden ocher gave her understanding, comfort, and stimulation. She could see the question there, without him speaking it. _Do you trust me?_

"Yes," she answered aloud and kissed him. Together they rolled, Carlisle completely covering Bella's body as she sank into the mattress. Their lips became passionate, and Bella's breath quickened. Carlisle left her mouth to rain kisses down the side of her neck. He stopped and lingered at the curve, opening his mouth to give a light sucking bite. Bella's eyes rolled back and her lids shut as hot pleasure shot through her entire body. She ceased to think, her entire awareness became the licking, melting pulsations that Carlisle was sending through her with his tongue and lips at her neck. His hands came around, caressing and molding her waist and hips, traveling, as she remained caught by his mouth.

Bella moaned and whimpered, shocked by the onslaught as Carlisle's hands discovered new places. She didn't want it to end. Her hands clung to him and held him to her, one in his hair, the other digging into his back. She gasped when he suddenly released her neck, moving further down her body.

His lips lingered briefly at her collarbone, before moving down to her waist. Slowly, his hands slid up her sides underneath the hem of her shirt, lifting the fabric. As her abdomen became exposed Carlisle kissed it, licking from her navel to her side. Bella sighed, and struggled not to squirm from the slight tickle that came with the pleasure. Carlisle continued to push her shirt up, kissing her sternum. He pulled back, and Bella lifted her arms, letting him complete the removal of the shirt.

She still wore her bra underneath, simple and plain white cotton. Vainly Bella wished that she had put on one of her sexier, lacier ones. Then all thoughts vanished from her head as Carlisle took hold of her wrists in one hand and lowered himself back over her. Her breath came out hot and heavy against his lips before he kissed her again. One hand still holding her arms above her head, his other trailed down her side, caressing. Then it moved back up, cupping her breast through the bra. Bella moaned slightly against his lips before his tongue took possession of her mouth and silenced her. His thumb brushed over her nipple and Bella gasped as it sent warm tantalizing tingles down her body to her toes. Carlisle's thumb continued a rhythmic stroking as his lips moved to her jaw.

Bella began to strain against him, needing to touch him. Carlisle released her wrists, and her arms immediately came around him. Now free, his hand stroked down her side quickly and lightly in a deliberate tickle. Bella squirmed and Carlisle chuckled in her ear. Grinning, Bella gave his hard shoulder a quick nip with her teeth, causing Carlisle to grunt ever so quietly. Removing his hand from her breast, Carlisle braced his arms on either side of her as his hips rocked against hers.

Bella gasped at the feel of him against her, eyes automatically closing to savor the sensation of friction through their clothes. It was the most intimate she'd ever been, and a new awareness was coming to her. How his hardness suited her softness, how their hips were made to be against each other, how masculine and feminine were designed to come together. She began to feel a warm, desperate need for him down in the center of her. When he pressed against her again, she gasped, arching, "Carlisle, god."

Of their own accord her hands traveled down his back to press his hips closer. Yet Carlisle shifted, slipping his arm underneath her, cupping the base of her head with his hand. She looked up at him with heavy-lidded eyes, confused at his removal, but trusting him to keep her feeling alive. His dark ocher eyes looked back at her tenderly. Then in a swift motion he tilted her head and latched onto her neck with his mouth. He was on that same erogenous spot he'd found before, grazing slightly with his teeth, sucking and licking as before, but with more passion. Bella moaned, blissed at being caught by his mouth again.

Her eyes shut as the liquid fire traveled through her body, completely originating from the power of his mouth on her neck. Her budding center began to ache for more, and she felt helpless against him, needing everything he was giving to her and more. As Carlisle's other hand stroked down her side, it wasn't until it came around her stomach and slid under her waistline that she realized what else he was doing.

His cool hand cupped her briefly, before his fingertips danced over her folds. Bella couldn't gasp, couldn't breath, she just waited, riding the passion as she burned for more underneath his hand. When he dipped lower, Bella finally breathed, moaning as Carlisle shot pleasure up her. She began to buck against him, not knowing what she was asking for but needing it desperately. Carlisle continued his lavishing on her neck, biting down a little harder, making Bella gasp again, while his fingers quickened, moving dexterously over every bit of her that needed to be touched.

"Carlisle . . ." she cried, unable to believe what she was feeling. Carlisle didn't let up and continued pushing her higher and higher. Hot, dangerous, beautiful sensations coursed through Bella's body, from Carlisle's mouth on her neck, his fingers between her legs. "Carlisle," she whimpered again, but he didn't relent. He drove her upward as she began to lose control over her own body.

Bella butterflied.

Gasping, breathing hard as she returned to earth, she blurted, "My god…Carlisle…. What was that?"

Carlisle kissed her cheek, her temple. "A beginning," he spoke into her ear, his own voice raspy.

* * *

**A/N:** I invite you to take a moment, if you need it, to step out of the story before I start blabbing.

I've been pretty excited to post this chapter for all of you wonderful readers. So many of you have been giving me such great encouragement and compliments for my story. Thank you so much! I've actually turned to your reviews as I wrote this last chapter to help bolster me when I was beginning to get out of touch with what I was trying to accomplish.

I've never written anything like this before, so I would _love_ your feedback. Give me a review, send me a PM, tell me what worked, what didn't. I deliberately built up to this chapter rather than just straight delivering the goods because I am genuinely trying to give you a story with some meaning. How am I doing? How did I just do?

And for everyone who is enjoying the ride, there's more story to come! We're not _quite_ through, yet.

**Added 4/27/2010: **I just learned that the original link for Glacier National Park that I put up in Ch. 6 is no longer there, so I added links to a few different shots instead. I'm letting you know here because I already removed Ch 6 (my favorite chapter) from my ready-to-be edited docs. Enjoy the new links!


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: *Finally.* Thank you everyone for your patience. I hope that you're able to get easily back into the story after three weeks.

I do not expect **chapter nine** to take as long to post, but it might take a little time as it **will be the final chapter**.

If you're reading my story for the first time, Thank You! I know how much time can be taken out of your day when reading this from the beginning. Is it a bad sign that my chapters are getting longer?

For those that haven't discovered it yet, I've added a few things that you're invited to check out if you want:

* I posted a one-shot of Alice and Rosalie POVs back at the Cullen house.

* I also added a feedback poll on Chapter 7 to find out what you folks liked.

* I put up a profile pic and I'm hoping someone will recognize where it came from.

Finally, please please please review! This is my first fanfic, this is the first time I've ever written anything like this at all, so I would love your feedback. Especially if you liked it and what you enjoyed. It's wonderful making connections with you.

Enjoy reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Twilight.

Disclaimer: Always practice safe sex.

_

* * *

_

_Carlisle kissed her cheek, her temple. "A beginning," he spoke into her ear, his own voice raspy._

He pressed his lips to hers and Bella welcomed them, holding onto Carlisle tightly and pulling him closer. Bella needed to touch and hold him for all the feelings he was creating in her, for the weakness and excitement those two words created. Intensity increasing in their kiss, Bella's hands began to war with his shirt, tugging it loose from his waist. Carlisle assisted by pulling away just far enough to undo his belt.

Bella grinned against Carlisle's lips in triumph as his shirt came free. Together their hands worked to loosen the garment. Unfastening the last button herself, Bella spread the fabric apart and ran her hands along his torso. His skin was smooth, hard and deliciously cool to the touch. Her eyes ran over each lean muscle as her fingers unhurriedly danced their admiration. Bella's eyes continued their journey upwards and met Carlisle's. She realized that he had been watching her.

She smiled at him. "You're stunning. Do you know that?"

Before she could read his expression Carlisle's hand captured hers against his chest and he was kissing her, leaning them both back into the mattress. Bella felt her pulse quicken in response, matching the heat of Carlisle's sudden movement. Bella's mind hazed; she couldn't get enough of tasting Carlisle, wanting to remain lost in the intoxication of his scent and flavor.

Carlisle's hands were at her waist and Bella lifted her hips to help him as he drew the pants down to her knees. His lips were suddenly pressing against her thighs, first one then the other. They were tender and darting, moving cautiously, then fearlessly, constantly changing the rhythm. It made Bella feel wanton, lying half undressed while Carlisle's mouth played games on her thighs. Rolling her hips and tilting her head back, Bella gave a low contented growl from deep in her throat.

Carlisle moved into the widened space she had given him and kissed the fabric guarding there. Bella's thighs tightened, virginal preservation kicking in. Carlisle didn't move his position, though his hands ran over her, soothing and intimate. Their eyes met as Bella lifted her head to look at him.

"Trust me, Bella." Carlisle's breath breezed over her, and she shivered slightly, even as she felt herself slicken with arousal. Bella nodded, and Carlisle placed a second, more lingering kiss on the same spot. Slowly, he lowered her panties and with them the pants until Bella's bare legs were completely exposed. His hand ran up one, coming to rest on her hip. His other lifted her from underneath.

Bella closed her eyes, fighting the feelings of anxiousness that were warring with her heat. She felt Carlisle's lips press tenderly on the inside of her thigh, and then moaned when he opened his mouth to press his tongue to the same spot. As Bella's mind emptied her last solidly coherent thought was of Carlisle and her muscles relaxed.

Carlisle purred encouragement as his lips moved to her other thigh. Bella could only sigh, feeling his lips and tongue press intimately, smelling the delicious musk of him around her, and hearing the rain fall through the trees outside.

Carlisle's mouth moved over her, lightly grazing the sensitive flesh where her legs joined. Bella gasped, eyes still shut. Carlisle was immediately tasting her, no hesitation as he devoured her. Bella released a long, lingering moan, insides alive from the sudden attack of his mouth. The speed of the onslaught became more fevered as Carlisle continued feasting on her. Bella was all sensation, high pitched whimpering, keening noises she didn't know she could make escaping from her. Carlisle's fingers joined in on the assault, first one, then a second, and as Bella's shrill wails increased, a third. Bella's cries were unintelligible as he stretched her, kissed her, tugged and licked her. Finally she let out his name in one loud, long lucid scream as the pleasuring pressure inside of her exploded.

When the last echoes of her cry died Bella opened her eyes; Carlisle was still between her legs, lingering as he administered slow languid licks. The fingers of Bella's hand found their way into his hair, curling through and tightening as she whimpered weakly.

"Carlisle."

Carlisle rose from his position, bringing himself so that his face was level with Bella's, but not before replacing his mouth with the same fingers that had just been inside her. They remained stroking slowly, keeping her from feeling empty. His proximity to her brought with him an increase of his scent, mixed with her sex on his breath. Bella grunted softly in reaction, as his fingers stroked along her insides. "No rest?" she queried voice low, eyes heavy and dark with the remnants of loving. He was so close that her lips brushed against his as she spoke.

"We're slowing down," he answered, speaking just as softly. The huskiness in his voice and his lips brushing against hers were more than Bella could resist. She pressed her mouth to his, licking his lower lip. They kissed slowly, keeping the pace gradual, as Carlisle's fingers continued rubbing and stretching her.

Becoming more confident, Bella moved her hands down to where his belt buckle rested undone. Reaching in, she found and grasped Carlisle, wrapping her fingers around the length of him.

Carlisle stilled against her mouth as Bella began to stroke him slowly, at the same pace that he was giving to her. Eyes closed, he touched his forehead to hers. Bella continued, waiting for a cue from Carlisle if she should stop. He didn't give it. Instead his mouth captured hers and the pace began to quicken as they continued kissing and fondling. Bella's hands were the first to move to his clothes, and soon they were both busy undressing. The last to go was Bella's bra as she sat up, hands fumbling behind her back to unhook her bra. Beside her, Carlisle stilled her fingers.

"Let me."

Bella lowered her hands back down to her sides and looked at Carlisle. His arms were around her as he gently undid her bra. Bella felt it release, though her attention remained on every beautiful naked inch of him, her personal Adonis. As before, Carlisle's eyes caught hers and they smiled. His hand came up and cupped her cheek. It was a moment of tender affection passing between the two of them, a mutual giving and taking. Bella knew that Carlisle could feel her trust.

His hand slipped down from her cheek to the strap on her bra. Grasping it, he slid it over her shoulder, lowering his head to kiss the spot where it had just been. He did the same on the other side. Bella's pulse quickened along with the fire in her blood that burned for him. Letting the garment fall, he took her breast in his mouth. Bella gasped, arms coming around to hold him as he leaned her backwards until satin cushioned her body.

Bella arched when he switched to her other breast, riding the waves as Carlisle drove her senses. She grunted her satisfaction when Carlisle moved over her, his mouth taking her mouth, his legs intertwined with her legs. Fervent excitement ran through every nerve of her body as Carlisle's pressed against it. Her hands stroked down his back, up the arms that held his weight, reveling in the feel of every muscle under the cool strong skin.

She could feel the hardness of his erection pressing against her. Need for him that had been a pleasant ache soon became a demanding throbbing, and she spread her thighs underneath him. His fingers were soon there, and they moved up inside her, his thumb pressing against the source of her ache. Bella moaned, part disappointment, mostly pleasure. She took the motions of his hand, matching his rhythm with her hips.

"Carlisle," she began, biting his shoulder. "Please, I need you."

Carlisle's lips found her temple while his fingers continued to meet her bucking hips. "Are you certain?" The words were almost inaudible though they were spoken into her ear, and there was a strain to them. It came to Bella that Carlisle's own self-control was in new territory.

"Yes," she hissed her need, but she pulled her head back to look in his eyes. They were dark, somewhere between the deep ocher she'd seen in them before and the black of hunger. "Can you?" she asked with gentle concern. She held onto the edge, ready to come down if Carlisle's control was being pushed too far.

"Yes," he answered swiftly and covered her mouth with his. His kiss was eager, passionate and Bella met it with her own urgency. Her arms tightened around him, pulling him closer as his hand left her legs to brace his weight on the other side of her. Their mouths still mating, Bella opened her thighs welcomingly as she felt the tip of him press against her. Slowly, Carlisle pushed his way fully into her.

They both gasped, Bella turning her head at the feel of him filling her. Her body adjusted, stretching and wrapping around him. Enveloping him. He belonged there.

Bella dug her nails into his shoulders and turned her head towards him. "More," she whispered into his ear.

He gave her more, slowly withdrawing and pushing in again. The contact made Bella moan, aching for repetition.

"Bella, you're so warm." Carlisle breathed, continuing his slow torturous thrusting. His head was beside hers, his chest pressed against hers, and everywhere they touched skin to skin.

Bella bent her head to kiss his neck. Carlisle continued to push inside her, the gradual increase making her arch her back, bracing her weight on his shoulders so that she could give him more access.

Carlisle quickened, setting a rhythm that was stronger and more frequent. Bella gasped at each thrust, abandoning herself to the feel of him inside her. "Carlisle," she moaned happily and moved her hips.

His rhythm slowed and he became completely still. Bella looked up at him questioningly when he pushed himself up. Encircling an arm under her back, he gave one more slow thrust before pulling out. "Move with me," he entreated and rolled them both so that he was on his back with Bella on top.

Bella panted, her face hovering near Carlisle's as she lay sprawled across him. Legs still spread, she could feel the tip of him just barely brushing against her. With heavy breath, she pushed herself upwards, gaze locked with Carlisle's. Their eyes communed a shared intensity as she lowered herself onto him.

Groaning, her eyes shut, Bella didn't move, needing the feel of him filling her. Carlisle's hands gently came up and caressed her hips.

"Bella," Carlisle urged softly, "slide yourself just a little further back." His hands on her hips guiding her, Bella complied. "Now, tilt forward a bit. Yes. Move like this, Bella."

Bella lifted herself up slowly, and came back down on him, gasping. The friction was rubbing right up against her nub.

"Again, Bella." Carlisle's hands on her hips moved to stroke her encouragingly. Bella lifted herself again and began to ride him. Each slide pulsed through her, emanating between her legs and traveling down the backs of her thighs and calves. She picked up speed, Carlisle's hands still guiding her, helping to lift her. His own thrusting heightened the sensation and pressure began to build inside her.

"Carlisle," Bella moaned, not ceasing her movements. "I can't-"

"You can." His hands tightened on her hips, not controlling, but giving her purpose.

"Carlisle," Bella gasped his name, this time pleadingly. "I don't know-"

"You can," he repeated, heat coloring the encouragement in his voice. "I am here with you, Bella. Take me."

Bella continued her motions, rising and falling quicker and harder along him. Letting go of everything else, she focused on the friction she was creating between the two of them, stimulating where it pleased her most. And she lost all control, taking Carlisle with her. Her cries reverberated with his moans around the room, and she could still feel them as she collapsed on top of Carlisle. He held her and kissed her hair, before slowly moving their positions so that she was lying on her back. They remained connected, and she looked up at him exhausted and barely aware. Carlisle kissed her forehead and looked down at her with amazing tenderness.

"You're beautiful, Bella."

"Mmm," Bella moaned, a part of her mind wanting to protest, but forgetting why as she fell asleep.

**(~*~)**

Carlisle was still there, arms wrapped around Bella when she next opened her eyes. The room was mostly dark, with patches of vivid orange coming from the windows as the sun set over the lake.

"Thank you," she said.

Carlisle's mouth quirked when he answered her. "You're welcome."

"No," Bella laughed, realizing how he had interpreted her words. "I meant thank you for being here still. You didn't have to stay in the bed with me."

Carlisle kissed the top of her head. "It was my pleasure, Bella."

Bella smiled and stretched her limbs. "What time is it?"

"It's about nine-thirty."

Bella looked up at him. "So late? How long was I asleep?"

Carlisle laughed. "Only a couple hours. You should get up and eat though. Restore your energy."

Bella sat up, stretching again, the sheets falling down to her bare waist. "What's with all this worrying about my eating? I have fed myself for several years now, you know."

"I'm just looking out for you, Bella." Carlisle's eyes were turned down as he left the bed. Bella noticed that, unlike her, he was fully dressed.

"Well, let me get some clothes and we can head into the kitchen." Bella stood and moved round the end of the bed, searching for the clothes Carlisle had taken off her.

"I'll go down now and get the chicken started for you."

Bending over and snatching her panties, Bella looked over at Carlisle standing at the door. "Chicken?"

He grinned at her. "Isn't that what you were planning to eat this weekend?" Bella returned his smile, yet something in his eyes as he turned and quickly left the room made her frown.

Dinner was as delicious as Bella expected, not only due to Carlisle's cooking, but also because Bella found that she was ravenous. Carlisle had chuckled as he watched her eat with abandon. Gulping down her drink, Bella grinned at him.

"It is absolutely not fair that you can't join me in a well cooked meal. Do you get to enjoy different flavors with what you eat, Carlisle?"

"I may be able to resist human blood, Bella, but that doesn't mean that I have no sense of appetite. Just as Edward likes his lions, I rather prefer deer."

"Even though deer aren't predators?"

"Predators are tasty, too."

"What about fish? You must have eaten while you swam to France, right?" Bella felt loose and giddy. How could she be so full of energy when she'd just eaten? Maybe it had something to do with how well Carlisle's clothes showed off the muscles in his arms and legs. His collarbone just showed through the unbuttoned neck of his shirt, and Bella kept finding her eyes drawn to that bit of exposed skin.

Carlisle shook his head. "No, I didn't need to. But I have had shark."

"That brings on an uncomfortable image." Bella shuddered. "Wouldn't feasting on a shark have attracted more of them to the blood?"

Carlisle grinned. "Not if I don't spill." He moved to the fridge and pulled out the tray of strawberries, a handful still remaining. "Care to finish these off?"

"Absolutely," Bella answered and he brought the tray over to her.

Carlisle held out one of the strawberries in front of her lips. Amused, Bella opened her mouth to bite it, but Carlisle tugged it away a fraction. Bella grinned and managed to grasp the berry the second time. She watched Carlisle as her lips slowly surrounded it and closed her eyes happily when she bit down, enjoying the juices that flowed into her mouth.

"It's too bad," she spoke around the fruit, "that you can't know how delicious this tastes."

Carlisle set the tray down in front of her. He had moved away, back turned, when Bella opened her eyes again. Puzzled, she took another strawberry off of the tray beside her empty plate. Carlisle turned towards her and grinned wryly out the side of his mouth. "I can't regret what I've never tasted."

Still munching on the last of the food, Bella looked at him questioningly. "So are there foods that you remember that you miss?"

Carlisle leaned against the counter as he faced her, and again Bella's eyes drank him in. "Memories of how food might have tasted on my human palate are too vague. What I have tasted since, however, I can remember and crave with precise clarity."

Bella tried to picture what that would be like, to want lion over bear, instead of enchiladas over shepherd's pie. She moved her plate and glass onto the empty tray.

"I'll take care of the dishes myself this time." Bella smiled at Carlisle playfully. "I insist."

Carlisle nodded, "Of course. I'm going to be in my study then, getting some more reading done." He left the kitchen. Bella stared after him in confused surprise. His abrupt departure left her feeling a little bereft. What had just happened?

As she hand-washed the dishes, Bella reflected that at the same time the previous night she had still been in Carlisle's car on her way to Montana. Had it only been one day? It felt to Bella as though much more time than that had passed. It was as if the cabin had become her and Carlisle's own little world. She closed her eyes and shook her head slightly, trying to dispel the thought. After all, the place had once been home to the entire Cullen family, long before she had entered the picture.

Bella felt a twinge of guilt at the thought of the Cullen family. It had only been one day. It had taken her less than twenty-four hours to sleep with Carlisle. Even less than that! She'd found out about the plan around, what, two a.m.? And was in the bedroom with Carlisle directly after lunch? That was less then twelve hours.

Bella's hands stopped, the soap covered plate dripping in one hand, a sponge squeezed in the other. It had taken her less than half a day to cheat on Edward.

But it wasn't cheating! Edward had _asked_ her to do it. Esme had encouraged Carlisle to do the same. Surely they were both above blame? Setting down the sponge and rinsing the plate, Bella began to have a sick tightening in her gut. She loved Edward. Then all Carlisle had to do was drop a hint, and she started lusting after him. Was she just a teenager with hormones out of control?

_No,_ Bella thought firmly. She and Carlisle had built up a connection, with no illusions. She had to trust herself. Setting the final dish to drip dry in the rack, Bella dried her hands off with a kitchen towel. She would go find Carlisle in his study and talk with him. Just talking with him would make her feel better.

Heading up the stairs, Bella moved in the direction where she knew she'd find the study. Approaching the door, Bella noticed that the light wasn't on. She knocked on it. "Carlisle?"

There was no answer. Turning the knob, Bella cautiously opened the door. "Carlisle," she called again softly. When there was still no response, Bella flicked on the light. The study was empty.

Bella wondered if perhaps he was somewhere else in the house, but immediately knew that wasn't the case. If he had been, he would have come to her when he heard her call his name. The window in the back of the room was open, letting in a breeze and the scent of wet leaves from the rain that had fallen earlier. Carlisle must have gone out the window.

A part of Bella tensed, confused and alarmed at this new development. Then she realized, fair is fair. That morning she had left the house to go for her dip without a word to him. Carlisle obviously needed a bit of solo time. Bella felt a little sad that she didn't have him to converse with right then, but she could handle being by herself. She knew he would be back.

Moving further into the study Bella looked through what books were there. She might as well read until he returned. Selecting one, she took it with her back into the bedroom. And fell asleep on top of the covers.

**(~*~)**

She really shouldn't have been able to hear him, but somehow she did. Opening her eyes Bella rolled off of her stomach and looked over at Carlisle. He stood in the doorway, and she was just able to make out his form in the darkness. That was enough. Seeing the lean muscular shape of him leaning against the jamb aroused her senses.

"I fell asleep," Bella explained needlessly.

"You should be asleep," Carlisle's tone was all polite consideration. "It's late into the night."

"I guess my clock is a little off from keeping irregular hours lately." Sitting up, Bella wondered at the strange tension in the room. Why was he keeping himself so far away? Her eyes were further adjusted to the moonlight, and she could see the reserved expression on his face.

"Did you go swimming?" she asked lightly, hoping to provoke a smile.

It worked. Carlisle grinned at her, and stepped forward into the bedroom. "No, I went on a brief hunt. Squirrel and rabbit."

_Poor fluffy hoppities,_ Bella thought sadly. "Oh."

Carlisle laughed at her tone. "There isn't much for big game so close, and I didn't want to be gone long. We'll be driving back in the morning."

"Of course." Now Bella kept all emotion out of her voice. The weekend was just one weekend after all. Charlie would be expecting her by late afternoon or early evening. Carlisle probably had to work as well, having just taken a couple days off. Why did she feel so cold all of a sudden? Bella stood up and walked towards the door. "Well, I'm glad you came back before we had to hit the road. I should probably change again; I shouldn't be sleeping in my clothes."

She stopped about a foot from Carlisle. His face was once again composed, the openness of a moment ago gone. Her eyes raked him from head to foot and she just wanted to step into him, retrieve the casual affection they'd had all weekend, feel his arms enclose around her once more. Yet she knew she couldn't. Even as she looked at him the flirting edges of wanting more teased her conscience.

Carlisle stopped looking at her and spoke with a startled realization: "Oh, Bella, forgive me." The lights flicked on. "I'm sorry I didn't realize that you couldn't see."

Bella winced and covered her eyes at the sudden brightness. Carlisle stood by the doorway again, the light in the hallway now also turned on.

"I could see okay, but thanks. This is easier." And she walked past him towards Alice's room. She left the door open, half expecting him to follow her and continue talking. But he didn't. She heard the door to his office gently click shut. Unable to quell the surge of disappointment, Bella rummaged through Alice's clothes again.

When this weekend started, Carlisle was someone she admired; soon he became an equal with whom she felt connected, and then her lover. Now, however, there was this strange distance. She still trusted him, still felt connected to him, but she sensed a new wall between them. Sex had changed things.

Ashamed, Bella thought that she knew part of the reason why. She still wanted him. Edward was the one she loved, the one she was committed to, and Carlisle was married to Esme. Yet she still wanted Carlisle, longed to take him back into her bedroom and repeat everything they had already done to each other.

Carlisle must have sensed this. That explained why, still completely friendly and courteous, he had withdrawn into his office. She didn't begrudge him time to himself. She was just worried that she had driven him there.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note**: First and foremost I would like to give respect to BloodRedVampress who was kind enough to agree to beta my chapter 9. She is a very busy lady, and sadly it turns out that my patience is not as stellar as it could be, as I posted the chapter before she could get to it.

* * *

The slip was still unusable, and there had been nothing else that suited for bedtime wear. Rejecting everything else in the closet, Bella decided to keep it basic. She would just strip down when she got back to her room and sleep in her panties. She'd also make sure to set her shirt and shorts from Friday by the bed to be put on for the drive back to Forks.

Returning to her room, the first thing that Bella saw was the book left lying on the bed. She'd barely gotten into it before she had fallen asleep. Not in a reading frame of mind, Bella had no desire to pick it up again. She should return it to Carlisle's study.

The automatic thought of politeness made Bella waver. Returning it to the study would, of course, be the nice thing to do, but then she'd be within the same space as Carlisle. Feeling the distance between the two of them become tangible as she stood feet from him was not on the top of the list of things she desired to do at that moment. If he was escaping her, how fair was it for her to go chasing after him? He was pulling away because she still wanted him, and it would embarrass Bella to feel his disapproval.

After staring at the old leather-bound book while she contemplated, Bella snatched it and headed out of the room.

Whether it was her hormones or her loneliness leading her now, she didn't know, but she was refusing to continue feeling guilty and ashamed. She wanted to see Carlisle again, to confirm for herself that he was deliberately distancing himself from her. She wasn't going to play the coward when she'd already given the most intimate part of herself to him.

Steeling her shoulders, Bella rapped quickly on Carlisle's door.

"Yes, Bella, come in." His welcoming voice made Bella feel warm, and she felt herself relax as she opened the door.

"Hi. I just wanted to return this book." Bella smiled politely. Carlisle was smiling at her from behind his desk, a laptop open before him. "I'm not going to be continuing it before I go to bed."

Carlisle rose and came around the desk, hand extended to take the book from her. "I'm glad you found something to entertain you from what I'd left behind here years ago." He looked down at the book, and his expression briefly became unreadable before he looked back at Bella. There were hints of surprise and amusement in his eyes. "The Heptameron?"

Bella nodded, unable to keep from smiling from pleasure at the return of Carlisle's friendliness. Maybe she hadn't been the only one missing company.

"Any particular reason you chose medieval erotic literature?"

"I-" Bella blinked. "What?"

Carlisle laughed, and Bella felt herself coloring. "Did you read very much of it?"

"I think I fell asleep after the first few pages." Bella admitted. "I really only grabbed it because it had a female author and looked like several short stories."

"It is. It's inspired by the Decameron, which was written in the 14th century: ten stories a day told over ten days. In the 16th century Marguerite de Navarre was, unfortunately, not able to write a full one hundred stories."

"I had no idea," Bella was trying to not be embarrassed, despite Carlisle's obvious amusement.

Carlisle touched her face casually, golden eyes still twinkling. "Would you rather hang on to it?"

"No, that won't be necessary." At some point in the near future Bella was going to obtain another copy and never, ever, let Carlisle know. The slight touch of his fingertips on her cheek was causing a dance of anticipatory excitement in her lower back. Her eyes made contact with his and saw that the twinkle was gone. Carlisle dropped his hand and stepped back, turning to return the book to his shelf.

There it was, exactly the moment she was hoping wouldn't come. In stiff silence Bella watched him place the book. She noticed the hard muscles of Carlisle's back moving beneath his shoulder blades. Even as some level of her appreciated it, his back turned to her felt like a symbol of the wall of tension between them. A hard lump came into Bella's throat and she swallowed. The silence thickened.

"Carlisle?" Her voice wavered.

He didn't turn around. "Yes?"

"Do you have much reading to do?" If the edge of vulnerability was apparent in her voice, Carlisle didn't react to it.

"There's always reading to do," was the pleasant response.

Bella nodded. Managing to keep her voice light and cheery, she wished him enjoyment and apologized for interrupting him. Carlisle smiled at her again as he dismissed her interruption.

"Well, you'll know where I'll be." With that Bella left the office, shutting the door behind her. She quickly retreated down the hall, feeling the embarrassment and shame burn her face.

Despite herself, when she went back to sleep, she left the bedroom door ajar.

**(~*~)**

It was not quite yet dawn when Bella woke again. Breathing through her nose, she rolled over onto her side and slowly opened her eyes. She was alone, and realizing it, Bella's stomach clenched.

Bella knew that Carlisle wouldn't be there, yet somehow she'd managed to delude herself into half-expecting his arms around her when she woke. Anger counteracted the sad disappointment that began to fill her. She wasn't a fool, and she certainly wasn't going to continue deceiving herself.

Shifting onto her back, Bella closed her eyes in an attempt to fall back asleep. After a few minutes she gave up. Her internal clock was off, and she was just too emotionally wired. Slipping out from under the covers, Bella grabbed her denim shorts and tee and put them on.

Thinking about the clothes, she frowned. She'd worn at least two outfits and had gone swimming in Alice's slip. She really ought to wash them and give them back to Alice, with thanks. Of course, that might be potentially embarrassing, considering that Alice would know what she'd been up to this weekend, but she still needed to do the right thing. After all, she was used to taking care of herself, not just being taken care of.

Briefly angry again, Bella firmed her resolve to take the clothes back with her and wash them. She didn't need the Cullens stepping in to tend to her needs. Edward's protectiveness, Alice's clothes, _Carlisle's_ self-control. Well, she would wash those clothes and give them back to Alice, thank you very much.

Grabbing the assorted items, Bella looked around for a bag to carry them in. It wouldn't be very tidy to just have them all in a bundle. The idea of loose dirty clothes in the backseat of Carlisle's Mercedes made Bella's nose crinkle. Not finding anything appropriate, Bella considered her options and then went downstairs.

The Cullens didn't really generate trash, but since Carlisle had done all that cooking for her, the discard must be ending up somewhere. Therefore the kitchen was the likeliest place for her to find a plastic bag. Bella started going through the cupboards in the large kitchen, most of them empty or containing very little. She should have realized that the sounds of her rummaging would have attracted Carlisle's attention. All the same, she jumped when she heard his voice behind her.

"Bella? Did you need something?"

She turned to face him, still holding open the latest empty cabinet. The lightening sky from the rising sun made it easier for her to see him. Carlisle watched her, politely waiting for an answer. She wished he were smiling at her, open and charismatic, the carefree Adonis he'd been before. Instead, he was friendly but reserved. His shields were still up, and it made Bella's heart ache.

"I'm sorry, I didn't meant to disturb you."

"It's not a problem." Carlisle took a step closer to her. "What are you searching for?"

"I'm looking for a bag," she explained. "I wanted to launder what I've used here and return them to Alice back at Forks."

The Cullen patriarch smiled at her. "That's very considerate, but you needn't worry about that, Bella."

"I want to."

Carlisle nodded and moved into the corner between her and the refrigerator, towards the cabinets she hadn't gotten to yet. Opening one below the counter, he displayed the box of kitchen bags. "You still don't need to, but there are some here if you insist." His eyes avoided looking at hers.

Bella's eyes were wandering over Carlisle. She just couldn't help it. Taking in the breadth of his shoulders, the lean muscles of his arms as he'd angled himself to open the door had kicked up the lust that had been smoldering in her. Damn, if there just wasn't something sexy about a button-down shirt and slacks covering a masculine body. Especially Carlisle's. He filled out the back of those pants so well. And the shirt, too.

Her lack of a response made Carlisle turn his eyes back to her face and their gazes locked.

Bella and Carlisle stood inches apart, perhaps three at most. Her body automatically adjusted, a subtle movement that had their hips parallel. A lick of heat unfurled in Bella's abdomen. She instinctively knew it wouldn't have been there if the arousal wasn't mutual; it fed off of the electricity between them, growing stronger. Suddenly confident, Bella moved in. "Carlisle," she said softly, suggestively, as she placed her hand on his shoulder. When he didn't move she leaned in and pressed her lips to his.

The response was immediate. Carlisle's arms came around her and he whirled her around, pressing her against the refrigerator. His mouth came down upon hers, hard and demanding. His hands slipped into her hair as they had done before, only this time they gripped it hard, tugging her, allowing his mouth access. Bella met him with equal roughness, hands actually ripping his shirt open. Bella heard buttons hitting countertop and floor, as Carlisle surely did, but he ignored them. Placing one swift kiss on his way down, he sank his teeth into the curve of her neck again, this time on her left side. The reaction was same; Bella cried out from the sheer joy and pleasure of it. Her hands came around his waist under his shirt, holding hips that couldn't possibly press against hers any more than Carlisle already had them.

Carlisle tugged her shirt up, hands caressing over her bare skin underneath. His lips left her neck to kiss her shoulder and moved over her breast. His mouth curved over it, through the cloth of her shirt and bra. Bella moaned, but her hands came out from behind his back, and pressed against his bare abdomen. She knew that this time she didn't want things to go this way. "Carlisle, stop," she murmured.

Carlisle instantly froze, and then he pulled upright, removing his mouth from her breast. "I'm sorry, I-"

"Shh," Bella stopped him, her hands working on undoing his belt. Carlisle's gaze flew down to her hands, and back to her face, the alarm relaxing into a different kind of tension altogether. "Let me touch you," she said, lowering his zipper. She let her eyes convey her lust and intent, showing him that she wasn't pushing him away. "Let me make this about you."

Bella slipped to her knees and took him into her mouth. She was gentle at first, cautiously exploring with her tongue as her lips slid over more and more of him. A guttural groan came from Carlisle, and she sensed his muscles tightening. His hand came to rest on the top of her head in a natural movement.

Knowing that Carlisle was enjoying what she was doing allowed Bella to surrender herself to the motion and rhythm. Eyes closed, her lips and tongue moved over him, under him; her hands came up to assist, to stroke and guide and roll. Bella became lost in the pleasure of pleasuring him.

With what could only be described as a growl, Carlisle pulled himself away from her mouth and swung her up into his arms. Before she knew it, Bella was landing on the bed, hers and Carlisle's clothes shedding to the floor at his feet. Naked and heart pounding, Bella found herself seized as Carlisle kissed her with his own release of passion. She twined herself about him, legs around his waist, arms around his neck and kissed him with needful abandonment, practically lifting herself off of the mattress. Their hands were all over each other, Carlisle's down her sides and gripping her thighs, Bella's scratching down his back.

Pulling himself upright, Carlisle grasped her hips. "Turn over." His golden-black gaze was blazing into hers. Hot and comprehending, Bella turned within his hands, her body burning now for him to take her just as she knew he was about to. She moved backward on her knees, even as Carlisle pulled her by the hips towards the end of the bed. In one sure movement he was inside her.

Bella's body stretched in new ways as she surrounded and took him in this new position. She could feel him touching so many places inside her and she gasped quietly. She loved it. There was no other word; she loved the feel of him inside of her in just this way at just this moment in time. Carlisle's own gasps as he pushed himself into her again showed that she was doing as much to him as he was to her. He wanted her.

She wanted him. Bella moaned and pressed her face against the bunched up sheets. She rocked herself forward and back again, meeting his every thrust. Each contact of flesh hitting flesh made her want more.

"Harder, Carlisle. God, take me as hard as you can."

"Bella," Carlisle groaned, "I can't. I have to hold back."

"I can handle more." Bella moved to increase the pace. "Please," she begged him, "I want you."

With another groan, Carlisle's hands on her hips tightened, and he met her increased pace with more force. Bella moaned blissfully and squeezed her eyes shut. Then a happy gasp escaped her as Carlisle pushed harder yet, guiding her hips along him.

"Yes," she hissed, bunching her fists into the satin. The slam of skin against skin felt so good it made her gasp and cry out each time he pushed back into her. Carlisle's force and speed increased yet again, much to Bella's delight. She buried her face between her fists and received him as he began to piston inside her.

"Oh, God, tell me this feels as good to you," Bella groaned.

"Bella," Carlisle's voice was gasping, struggling as he held onto the edge of control. "You have no idea."

Bella's high-pitched whimper was her only response. His hand left her right hip and came round to touch her between her legs. Bella bucked at the first shock of his touch, and began to vocalize uncontrollably as he stimulated her most sensitive point while continuing his thrusts into her.

"Come with me, Bella," Carlisle urged her.

"Carlisle," her voice rose on the second syllable as she began to follow the waves he was giving her to ride on, thighs trembling.

"Yes, sweet Bella, that's right." His own voice hitched as his release came near.

Bella screamed his name again, stars exploded while the tension in her body burst free. She registered Carlisle crying out as well, and she took him with her as she soared on sensation.

She was panting and sweating when it was done. Carlisle gently pulled himself out of her and Bella collapsed forward. When Carlisle positioned himself on the bed she moved to join him. Carlisle rested against the headboard, wrapping an arm around Bella. She scooted in closer, resting her head against his sternum. They stayed like that for a moment, both breathing.

"You closed me out," Bella stated.

She felt Carlisle shift as he looked down at her and she met his gaze unblinkingly. Keeping his arm around Bella, he lifted his hand to stroke her hair.

"I didn't mean to, but yes, I did. I'm sorry."

"May I ask why?"

"Guilt. I didn't expect…" Carlisle closed his eyes and sighed before opening them again. "I had no idea that it would feel this good. I didn't expect to want you as much as I have."

Bella looked away, towards the closed door of the bedroom, understanding. "You felt as though you were betraying Esme and Edward."

Carlisle nodded. "It didn't begin that way. It didn't begin this intensely for me."

Bella waited, listening, stroking her fingers casually along his chest.

"When we were driving in," Carlisle continued, "I was happy to detect that there was a physical attraction between us. Yet that didn't change the situation for me. The possibility suddenly became more viable, but that didn't mean that I was going to try to persuade you either way. You know that the decision was always going to be yours."

"Yes, I know that," Bella reassured him, and his arm tightened around her briefly.

"Things started to change after I kissed you that first time in front of the couch. I'd gotten to taste you, feel how soft and warm you are, and yes, to inhale your scent in a much more intimate way than I'd had before. You are very appealing, Bella. In those hours before daybreak I realized that I had begun to hope you'd say yes."

Bella's hands moved across Carlisle's chest to hold him at his waist. Squeezing her in return, Carlisle kissed the top of her head, unashamedly breathing in deeply. "You also look very good in a wet slip, I might add," he added huskily.

Bella snorted and the hand around his waist pinched his side lightly. Carlisle chuckled and breathed her in again before continuing.

"Making love to you, Bella," Carlisle's voice deepened. "You do not know how wondrous an experience that was for me. To feel the warmth of your body, to permit myself to become intimate with your soft skin, your scent, your taste. To touch you, guide you, as you blossomed around me. It was truly beautiful. You are beautiful.

"Afterwards, when I held you while you slept I began to struggle. Finding you attractive, being able to touch you - none of it can compare to how much I came to want you. I wasn't expecting it to happen, didn't realize that it would be so strong a consequence. So I resisted it. I walked out of the kitchen because I just wanted to pull you close and touch you, see you lose yourself with me again. I even went hunting to expend my energy. When I came back I couldn't resist checking in on you." Carlisle sighed. "Seeing you lying on the bed where we'd just made love wasn't exactly the best way to make me forget what I want."

"I think both of us expected there to be no strings attached." Bella kept her head nestled against Carlisle's chest. "I became ashamed when you started pulling away. I thought you sensed that I still wanted you, and were putting distance between us to let me down easy."

Carlisle pulled her onto him so that she lay across his chest, and Bella braced herself with her hands on either side of him. Gripping her upper arms, Carlisle looked penetratingly into her face. "Bella, I kept my distance because I wanted you."

"So I figured out downstairs in the kitchen," she smiled at him.

Carlisle grimaced. "I broke my promise to you. I said you wouldn't be ashamed of this."

"Carlisle, I am _not_ ashamed of this. Just of myself for still desiring you, and I'm not even that anymore." She grinned, glancing down at their naked bodies comfortably interlocking. "Clearly."

Carlisle grinned and kissed the tip of her nose. Bella relaxed her torso, turning her head so that her cheek was pressed against him. Carlisle stroked his fingers up and down along her spine. "I'm still sorry you felt shamed."

"It's okay, really." And it was. Bella took a second to marvel at that. Essentially, Carlisle had gone back on the promise that he had made to her in the kitchen. By withdrawing into himself he'd taken away the comfort zone for both of them, turning it awkward and letting them both feel ashamed. Not that they both didn't necessarily need a moment to adjust to what they'd done, but with his withdrawal her feelings had been hurt.

Yet it didn't matter, she'd forgiven Carlisle so automatically she hadn't even determined that she needed to. She'd forgiven Edward for what he'd done as well, and she'd done that almost immediately out of love and even, Bella realized, out of trust. Trust wasn't about putting faith in someone who had never done you wrong. It was about caring enough to forgive when someone hurts you, and not closing your doors. Bella snorted very quietly against Carlisle's chest. What an odd moment for an epiphany.

"This has been one unique weekend," she said aloud, amused.

"Yes," Carlisle agreed, his fingers still lazily stroking her. Then he paused. "What's happened between us this weekend hasn't changed how I feel, Bella. I am still very much in love with Esme."

Never having expected it to be otherwise, Bella nodded against his chest and considered before answering. "My feelings have changed." Bella felt the rise and fall of his chest cease. She lifted her head. "Let me explain. When I got up Friday morning I had no idea of what was about to happen. My perceptions of you were that of the Cullen family member I admired and trusted most. The fact that we spent all this time together has made me care for you more than that. I still love Edward, fervently, and that was never going to change. Others have tried before, you know." She took a second to smirk at him. "But I no longer regard you so distantly. I admire you, but I understand you better, and like you more for it. And I feel connected with you, something I believe you told me you hoped for." She touched the side of his face, and searched it for an honest answer to her question. "Now that we've bedded each other am I wrong to feel this bond?"

Carlisle smiled at her, and lifted his hand to stroke her hair. "No. I wouldn't have it any other way. Wanting you doesn't change that."

Bella grinned at him again. "And as far as wanting each other goes, this weekend is the only time to take advantage of that. Afterwards, it's done."

He grinned back at her. "No strings attached?"

Bella shook her head. Their conversation had made everything feel settled within her again. Soon, they would be back home and with those they loved and that was as it should be. They had lives to return to and it was time to go back to reality. "Only that I am glad that I shared this weekend with you."

"So am I." Carlisle gathered Bella back up and held her to him. "Thank you, Bella, for choosing me."

She kissed him, tenderly, thoroughly. Yet a small discomfort made her shift her weight. Carlisle looked down and his eyes grew wide with alarm as he looked at Bella's hip. "Bella . . ."

"What?" Bella looked down and saw the dark purple discoloration on her left hip, a telltale sign of a bruise beginning. Bruises were nothing new to Bella; only this one was in the shape of four fingers and a palm.

Carlisle touched his cool fingers lightly to the edges, probing; there was a parallel matching of size and shape. "Bella, I am so sorry." His voice was full of contrition. "Let me go find some ice."

Bella sighed, chuckling. "Don't worry about it. It didn't hurt and bruises are nothing new to me."

"I hurt you; I wasn't careful enough."

"Carlisle, it's _fine_." Bella put her hands on either side of his face and smiled into his appalled expression. "I'm not hurt, and I certainly would not take back what caused it. It's just a bruise."

Carlisle seemed to waver. The bruise was minor, and Bella knew that Carlisle was certainly educated enough to know that it would heal. Bella leaned in and kissed his lips lightly. "It's really is no big deal, and nothing that you should fault yourself for. Things could have been worse than just a bruise on my hip."

Carlisle began to give in, though Bella knew that a part of him would take its time forgiving himself for that tiniest smidgeon of a lack in his control. As if on that wavelength, Carlisle gave one final protest. "Edward is going to be upset."

This time Bella laughed out loud. "Carlisle, when is Edward ever going to see me with my pants down?" Bella couldn't stop laughing at the irony and she kissed Carlisle again merrily. After all, if Edward were capable of going there, she and Carlisle wouldn't even be here this weekend.

Carlisle's expression was obviously struggling against amusement. It tugged on her affection and Bella kissed him once more, and found both their lips lingering. Giving a small grunt of pleasure Carlisle rolled them both so that she lay beneath him.

"One more time, then?" he grinned down at her, a reckless purpose turning his eyes nearly black.

Bella laughed up at him. "What, are your 'manly needs' not satisfied?"

"Are you teasing me?" Carlisle laughed back down at her, his fingers demonstrating that she was not the only one who could tease.

"Mmm-hmm, a little." She squirmed underneath him, giving him the reaction he wanted. Yet, because she did know Carlisle better, she spoke again. "You want to make it up to me, don't you?"

Carlisle nibbled down from behind her ear towards her throat in playful flirtation, though his words were sincere. "I won't hurt you."

Bella's hand came up to hold the back of his head. "I know."

**(~*~)**

Carlisle drove back to Washington at speeds more than 100mph with only one hand on the wheel, and Bella was not even slightly nervous about it. Looking down at their clasped hands, Bella smiled. She trusted him.

_Finis._

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**Author's Note**: To those of you who have followed me to the end, _thank you_! I really hope you have enjoyed my story. I understand that some of you were looking forward to the drama of the return to Forks, and as much as I don't want to disappoint, I'm afraid the story was never about that for me. In the end I wrote this for myself, though I have been _very_ honored that so many of you were happy to join me along the way. Truly, thank you so much!

Hold on to your story alerts, because even though this is now complete I think I might add some bonus scenes.

Listening to Bolero and rainfall nature sounds helped me along the way. Surprisingly so did the song Taste by Melissa Ferrick, which I discovered by video googling Bella/Carlisle. Many of the lyrics suprisingly coincide with my story. In tribute I deliberately put in lines about silence thick and stiffening, which actually served the scene very well. Thank you Melissa Ferrick and thank you, you tube user vidiliciousbabe for sharing the song with us on the internet.

It might be a writing faux pas, but I also want to let you know that to write this story I did a bit of research. For instance I have never been to Montana, but all places mentioned are real. I spent a lot of energy researching the S55 AMG, though almost none of it appeared in the story. I also downloaded Google Chrome to track Bella and Carlisle's drive. I know exactly at what gas station on which road in Idaho they stopped to fill up- crazy huh?

All that said, please review and let me know what you thought! As always, your opinion is welcome, encouraged, nervously longed for, giddily read, and happily received. Even -especially- the critically constructive ones.

So what did you think?

The next chapter is a bonus scene of the entire Cullen family.


	10. BONUS

**Author's Note:** While I focus on my new Bellisle story "Moonlit," the posting of more bonus scenes for this story has been put on hold. 4/9/10

This scene was the most developed of my bonuses, which is why it's posted first. **Feedback welcome!** What I'm aiming for with this scene is to show that, yes, there can be moments when it's tough to deal with the fact that Bella and Carlisle now have a history, but the family is strong enough to deal with it.

Scene takes place about a week or two after the end of "One Weekend."

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Thunder crackled, and a grin spread over many faces. Baseball time.

Emmett let out a loud whoop as he leaped from his Jeep without even opening the door. He landed lightly and Rosalie was right beside him.

"You're such a-" she started to speak, but Emmett grabbed her and swung her around in his arms before laying a full wet one right one her lips. She was grinning just as widely as he was when it was over.

Climbing out of the jeep behind Rosalie and Emmett, Edward turned to place his hands on Bella's waist and hoist her down. She grinned up at him, and he bent down to kiss the tip of her nose. Keeping his hands around her, Edward smiled at her in that slow sultry way he had. Bella felt her chest expand as a strong burst of love filled her. There were times when it was hard not to be so blissfully happy when you found yourself with the one you loved.

"C'mon, you two!" Emmett shouted behind him as he took off for the spot where the others were gathering, Rosalie by his side. She cast them a snide look over her shoulder. Rosalie ceased to have a problem with Bella and Edward's relationship, but she couldn't yet stop acting superior. It would take some time.

Grasping Bella's hand, Edward kept her by his side as they walked together to join the rest of the family. Content, Bella leaned into him. Jasper and Alice had hold of one of the equipment bags. As Jasper began laying out the bats, Alice grabbed the bases and took off to mark them. Esme came over to Bella, and gave her a hug, taking her from Edward's grasp. "Ready to help me referee?"

"I guess so." Bella gave a tiny shrug, as if she had nothing better to do. Esme grinned at her as Carlisle chuckled. He had his own smaller bag, and was removing the balls and gloves from it.

"It shouldn't be too hard to watch home base." Carlisle smiled at her encouragingly before kissing his wife, who had moved back over to his side. Esme and Carlisle smiled at each other, a brief glow of familiar love.

This was the third time Bella had been with the Cullens as they played baseball. The second time had been the summer before she entered into her senior year with Edward and Alice at Forks High. That had been one day to remember, for it had been so humid that the sudden storm had been a welcome break from the heat. It had also been good to play in the field again, and shed the nasty memories of James that came with it. That was a year ago, now, and it was beyond time for the Cullens to have a little sporty fun again.

As Edward looked through the bats Jasper had laid out, Bella noticed Carlisle rummaging through his bag again, looking at her. She grinned, knowing what was coming. His hand came out of the bag holding a Red Delicious apple. Carlisle, of course, would have made sure that she didn't spend the afternoon out in the enormous field without any sustenance.

"An apple a day," he quipped, and rolling it down his shoulder, he elbowed it in her direction. With uncharacteristic dexterity Bella caught it, smiling fondly at Carlisle as she bit in before turning away and walking towards a bare outcropping of rock to sit and wait until they were ready. Carlisle also turned away, bending over the gloves to make his choice, and didn't notice the expressions on the faces of his five family members standing near him.

Had he been looking at her he might not even have caught the quick flash of sadness in Esme's eyes before she squashed it. Emmett and Rosalie had paused as they put on their preferred mitts, watching the byplay. Like Edward, Jasper hadn't been watching, but he looked up in time to catch the unusual snatch Bella made out of the air and the moment of solidarity between her and Carlisle before they turned away.

The three minds had all unwittingly turned in the same direction, flashing images of Carlisle and Bella intimate. Jasper, who held only non-judgmental acceptance, felt the quick perverse pleasure from Emmett and the disgust from Rosalie. Yet it was Edward's emotions that caught his attention.

Edward had stiffened, the triple barrage from the minds of his three siblings overtaking him. His back turned to them all, Edward snatched an aluminum bat off the ground and stalked away, tensely swinging it as though in practice. Jasper soothed him, hoping to transmit his own calm acceptance. Soon Edward relaxed, his swings becoming less tight and more performance oriented as his whole body twisted with the motion. Jasper turned and smiled at Esme, who warmly smiled back at him. He didn't need to worry about her emotions; she had herself under control. Esme was a strong and amazing woman.

"I've got a batter, but no outfielders or a ball to pitch with!" Alice called cheerily from the pitcher's mound. It effectively broke the moment. Emmett called an insult back at his sister before moving into the outfield.

Laughing, Carlisle pitched a ball to the mound as Bella bit her apple, watching the players take position. Neither of them was aware of the brief awkward tension that had occurred. Soon it was out of everyone's minds as they got caught up in playing the game. Laughter, complaints and good-natured jeering filled the field along with the crack of thunder that masked the noise of vampires at play.

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A/N: Thanks for reading! Just to clear any confusion, the story ended with chapter 9. This was just meant to be a little snapshot of a moment that I had in my head. Hope you liked it! :)


	11. Deleted Scenes and Alternate Ending

**In honor of it being the first anniversary of this story – and therefore my first return to trying to write- I am posting the rejected drafts of "One Weekend."**

**They're unfinished, so please don't be too disappointed that they weren't fully developed. **

* * *

**The first is the original draft of chapter two. I just didn't think that Bella and Carlisle's conversation was really going anywhere, so I changed course. You will recognize the beginning half of it as actually having been posted, though.**

Bella began to recover herself after a few minutes of silence. The unexpected attraction she had felt for Carlisle was going to have to be set aside. She wouldn't allow it to make her go through nine hours of driving in silence.

"Carlisle, what does the rest of your family, other than Edward, think of your chances at an afterlife?"

"Are you asking because I said you're the only one to agree with me?" Carlisle's relaxed calm made Bella feel comfortable reintroducing the subject.

"Yes. I'm surprised Esme doesn't."

"Esme had a hard life as a human. I believe you know that she had tried to kill herself before I changed her. A lot of religions believe that is a sin, and an automatic denial of heaven."

"Oh, surely Esme doesn't believe she's going to hell? She's so… happy. And loving."

Affection for his wife made Carlisle smile. "Yes, she is. For that I am very thankful."

There was a beat before Bella moved on. "What about Emmett? I'm not surprised to think that Rosalie believes herself damned. Does Emmett just follow her lead?"

"Emmett lives solidly in the now, very carpe diem. He doesn't think too much about the soul's afterlife. He's very happy living his current one."

This made Bella think of Emmett's booming laughter and she smiled at the thought.

"Rosalie," Carlisle continued, "as you surmised, believes this existence is damnation. She doesn't make a secret of the fact that she would not have chosen being a vampire, had she been capable of making a choice."

There was a touch of sadness there, Bella sensed. And she knew why. She reached out and touched the back of Carlisle's right hand. Carlisle lifted his hand from the wheel and turned it over to allow his fingers to briefly intertwine with Bella's. Solidarity. "I've made my peace with the decision I made for her that night. Rosalie has managed to find happiness."

The moment passed, Bella's hand joined the other in her lap. "And Alice and Jasper?"

"Jasper's origins need to be taken into account. He has felt a lot of evil from our kind. It would be quite a progressive step for him to believe we can achieve heaven." The care and compassion Carlisle felt for his newest son was also very clear to Bella. She imagined not many other vampires in the world would have opened their doors to so much pain with as much understanding. "And Alice doesn't really know. Her ability to see futures doesn't give her an advantage on the subject, but she keeps an open mind."

Bella was fascinated by this new insight into the Cullen family as viewed by Carlisle. So many things that she'd never really thought of them discussing, so many ways they'd interacted with each other long before she became on the scene. The family started with him. It occurred to her that this was, actually, a unique opportunity to get to know Carlisle himself better.

"So, other than baseball, what do you do for fun?" Bella opened.

Carlisle laughed. "What is this, an inquisition?"

"How else am I going to get to know you?" Bella answered, an unabashed grin on her face.

"You know I like to read. I spend a lot of my spare time in my study with my books."

"I guess I always assumed that you were simply studying, keeping up to date on medicine."

"That's not entirely a bad guess. I do keep up a lot with what's going on in the world, but not just medicine. Arts, sciences. I believe Edward told you that I studied music before I found my calling in music."

"That's right, he did." Bella was surprised. "I had forgotten. What did you play?"

"I studied composition, mostly. Baroque music was at its height then. Eventually classical made its mark and so on into the romantic and modern."

"So you study compositions?"

"In part. I don't limit myself to any one thing when I'm studying; it's all an intellectual pursuit. You read, too, Bella. What do you like?"

Bella thought of the book lying on her bed. "Jane Austen."

"And do you only read Jane Austen?"

"No, of course not. There's Shakespeare and the Brontes."

"All highly literary. Why do you like them?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders. "They just appeal to me. I never tried to analyze why."

* * *

**The next section is Carlisle's point of view when Bella falls asleep. You may hate me for this, but I was leading up to Carlisle having a flashback to when Esme and Edward made the request of him. I didn't do it because at the time I just couldn't get a good feel for it. I also made the decision that in order to preserve the intimacy I was building up. I had to keep the story in the physical presence of Carlisle and Bella only.**

Bella had not yet woken when Carlisle pulled up to his cabin in Montana. He wasn't surprised as most humans were asleep at half-past one in the morning. She had dozed off hours earlier.

Carlisle had watched her almost as much as he had watched the road. Sleep softened her features and made her look even more fragile and delicate than she, as a human, already was.

Bella was a remarkably intelligent young woman that had come unexpectedly into the Cullen family's lives. He and Esme rejoiced in it, for Edward had been alone far too long. Esme loved Bella even before meeting her. Carlisle was prepared to do the same, once he had learned that Edward saved her life. It had been almost the same for Rosalie when she'd found Emmett. Carlisle knew that his son had found his mate.

The irony of the word was not lost on him. It was the fact that Edward could not physically mate with Bella that had become a primary conversation topic between himself and his son.

**(There is no surviving text of my attempts to begin this conversation, as I kept starting over and deleting. Edward and Carlisle would be talking, Carlisle would be shocked at his request and Esme- overhearing from another part of the house- enters the room and adds her opinion to Edward's.)**

* * *

**Here, part of the first draft of chapter five, Carlisle was actually going to join Bella in the water during her swim. They would engage in some splashing around and laughter. I rejected this scene because it was important for Bella's swim to be a time for her to regain her sense of self. Carlisle interrupting it would just be wrong.**

"You can be very amusing sometimes, you know that?" Carlisle said at her ear. Bella shrieked in surprise and moved upright. Carlisle was right by her side, grinning at her. Retaliatory, she splashed water into his face.

"You scared the crap out of me. Damn vampire fish in water." She had forgotten how easily vampires could swim. So much for her human moment, but she didn't feel intruded upon.

Carlisle disappeared under the water and reappeared a few feet behind her, deeper into the lake. "Not a bad idea, this."

"Yeah, thanks." She grinned at him. Carlisle slipped under the water again, vanishing. Bella braced, expecting to feel a tug on her leg dragging her under any second. It didn't come. Bella looked around, she couldn't detect Carlisle anywhere. She slowly relaxed and rolled onto her back again, doing a lazy stroke and staying at the same water depth.

A splash, and Carlisle was on his back next to her, keeping pace. "Not many people out on the lake just yet. There's a boater on the opposite end."

"Did you just swim the entire lake?" Bella was almost disbelieving.

"Yes, ma'am." Carlisle gave her a light splash and let his legs drop beneath him. "I'll show you."

* * *

**Lastly, an unfinished alternate ending. I realized that in writing this story I lost one of the directions I intended the story to address: infidelity. So I started this alternate ending that I did have every intention to finish and post. Most of it is in handwritten draft notes, so consider this just a tease. Maybe one day I'll finish and post it. **

Bella was stretched out over an old blanket, reading in the sun when Carlisle's window-tinted Mercedes S55 AMG pulled up. She had been enjoying a little time to herself while Charlie was out fishing and Edward was out test-driving his new Aston Martin V12 Vanquish that he'd bought as a wedding present for himself. The wedding was three days away, and the respite from Alice's planning and playing Bella Barbie Bride was a welcome relief. Bella had definitely not been expecting a guest, Carlisle least of all.

Yet, it wasn't Carlisle who emerged from the sleek black vehicle. This vampire Bella had never seen in the town of Forks, and Bella stared, stunned. Face hidden under the raised hood of a dusty-rose parka, Esme shut the driver's door and walked over to where Bella lay propped up on her arms.

"Hello, Bella," Esme greeted her softly and sweetly. Bella stopped gaping and quickly rose to her feet.

"Esme, hi." Unnecessarily grasping the woman's hand, Bella gestured toward the house. "Let's get you inside."


	12. By Demand: Lemon Outtake extended

**A/N: Okay, someone out there has been talking, and I can only guess that it was one of you. ;) About a month ago I was solicited one day after another by people I didn't know to write a lemon. I said yes to the first, the DirtyCheekyMonkeys weekly Squeeze My Lemon blog. Apparently they were asked to ask me. Since this is the only story I've written lemons for (as yet) it must have been one of you.**

**So here it is. I finished the sex scene that I started in the conclusion of Chapter Nine. In fact, you're getting something a little extra here that the SML blog did not. I extended the ending for a bit more character-oriented stuff.**

* * *

This is an outtake of the lemon alluded to in Chapter 9 of StormDragonfly's "One Weekend".

Author: StormDragonfly

Pairing: Bella/Carlisle

Beta: AllTheOtherNamesAreUsed

**STORY RECAP****: Carlisle takes Bella away for the weekend, and informs her that, if she's willing, Edward has asked him to help her with her "womanly needs," since Edward doesn't believe he can do it himself without hurting her. Bella is upset, but after a day of bonding with Carlisle, she accepts. Things get awkward after they have sex, until they end up having sex again. **

**IMMEDIATE CHAPTER RECAP****: Lying naked together, Bella and Carlisle admit that they still love their mates, despite the friendship and unexpected lust between them. During the course of this conversation Carlisle notices that his antics have left a bruise on Bella's left hip. She dismisses his concern, but he worries that the bruise will make Edward upset.**

This time Bella laughed out loud. "Carlisle, when is Edward ever going to see me with my pants down?" Bella couldn't stop laughing at the irony and she kissed Carlisle again merrily. After all, if Edward were capable of going there, she and Carlisle wouldn't even be here this weekend.

Carlisle's expression was obviously struggling against amusement. It tugged on her affection and Bella kissed him once more, and found both their lips lingering. Giving a small grunt of pleasure Carlisle rolled them both so that she lay beneath him.

"One more time, then?" he grinned down at her, a reckless purpose turning his eyes nearly black.

Bella laughed up at him. "What, are your 'manly needs' not satisfied?"

"Are you teasing me?" Carlisle laughed back down at her, his fingers demonstrating that she was not the only one who could tease.

"Mmm-hmm, a little." She squirmed underneath him, giving him the reaction he wanted. Yet, because she did know Carlisle better, she spoke again. "You want to make it up to me, don't you?"

Carlisle nibbled down from behind her ear towards her throat in playful flirtation, though his words were sincere. "I won't hurt you."

Bella's hand came up to hold the back of his head. "I know."

Playfulness eased into purpose as Carlisle's mouth passed over her throat and kissed the top of her breast. He made a languid circle with his tongue before drawing Bella's nipple into his mouth. The sudden sensation of it caused something between a grunt and a gasp from Bella. It tugged a straight line to between her legs, a tight focused heat. Bella arched up off the bed as Carlisle's mouth tugged even harder on her breast. It was as though Carlisle was picking up from where he'd left off earlier in the kitchen before she'd stopped him.

Moving his hand under the small of her back with a caress, Carlisle supported her as he moved his mouth over to her right breast, sucking just as strongly. "Unh," Bella moaned, closing her eyes. The hand she had on the back of his head tangled into his hair, and she tightened her grip on the locks. Nothing existed in this moment but touching Carlisle and being touched by him.

Bella's legs came up, her calves wrapping around the back of his thighs, skin along skin. Bella marveled at how much warmer Carlisle's body felt after the continual contact with hers. His hand left her back to run along her thigh and he raised his head to look at her. Bella immediately took advantage. Placing both hands on Carlisle's chest, she ran them down slowly. She watched his face as his eyes half-closed, and saw it change when she reached her goal. Grasping him in both hands, she stroked him, his gasps only urging her on.

"Bella…"

Bella stretched her neck, aiming her lips for any part of him she could reach, but Carlisle moved, too. His lips met hers, and Bella rapidly found different uses for her tongue. Their mouths mated, even as she stroked him with her hands, Carlisle's arms supporting his weight on either side of her. The kiss was saying everything. Joy at the pleasure they took in one another. Relief mixed with regret that this would be the last time. Determination to make it count. The passion grew exponentially with each layer they threw into it, and she felt it overtake her.

Bella whimpered, and Carlisle rolled them both over again, moving his leg from inside her calf to along the outside to initiate momentum. His mouth never left hers, but she lost her grip on him. Bella's hands came up, clutching his upper arms as they continued to kiss. Both of their bodies eager, Carlisle's hands traveled up her back as he sat up. Bella was on her knees straddling him, his legs stretched out beneath her. Their lips never stopped and her breath came in short gasps around his mouth.

The tip of him stroked her as their kissing made them undulate against each other. Bella was aching, and it was so easy for him to slip inside her that it almost happened without them noticing. Only they definitely noticed. Carlisle groaned and Bella broke away from his mouth with a gasp. Her hips taking over, with Carlisle's encouraging arms wrapped around them, the two of them thrust together. Bella leaned back, panting, her right hand supporting her by gripping Carlisle's leg. Her left arm hung over Carlisle's shoulders, enabling her to hold on as she returned each movement with one of her own.

Each plunge brought Bella's breast closer to Carlisle's mouth. In the moment she looked down and realized it, his mouth descended. Head falling back, Bella cried out, "God!" Her entire body felt alive, and was moving of its own accord. Her legs swung out on either side, so that she was no longer on her knees. It was all about getting as much friction as she could, an ellipse of movement as she pushed herself closer to Carlisle and away again.

"Bella," Carlisle groaned, his mouth letting go of her as he followed the arch of her torso and leaned her back onto the bed. Carlisle moved his body to be better on top of her and Bella's knees came up as he pounded into her.

"Carlisle, _yes_," she answered him, raising her legs even higher to receive him. Their bodies had inverted: feet at the headboard, heads at the foot of the bed. They were moving all over the place, and they weren't done yet. Even as she continued to gasp and scream his name, Bella needed to change positions again. She pushed at Carlisle's shoulders and he obligingly pulled up. Kneeling, he faced her, breath moving in and out fast. She rose up onto her own knees and crept over to him. Their mouths met in another kiss and Bella put her arms around his neck, lifting her hips. His hands were immediately underneath her, cupping her cheeks as he pushed himself inside her again. His mouth occupied with hers, Bella felt the reverberation of his groan pass through him into her.

Without Carlisle's hands supporting her, Bella wouldn't have been able to hold herself that high, and she needed it to feel him plunging inside her. Her feet came under her, behind Carlisle. Bella couldn't stop. Her body demanded it: to take him in, to ride him. She pushed with her legs to continue the rise and fall, using muscles in her thighs and calves in a way she never had before. Each push of him inside her was exactly how she wanted it. Oh, she was going to pay for it later. Her body was already straining, but it didn't matter.

"Bella," Carlisle breathed when she lifted her head, breaking the kiss. He ran his lips along her neck, repeatedly entering her with a controlled precision that was making Bella gasp staccato. "I need to be inside of you." Bella could feel the taught muscles in his thighs underneath her own as he used his hands to keep her body mating with his. They swayed together with every hard thrusting wave.

"Don't stop, Carlisle. _Don't stop._" The feel of him moving deliciously slick and hard inside her couldn't ever end.

"No," Carlisle exhaled against the skin of her neck. He sucked it into his mouth and his hands gripped her butt tighter.

"Uh." Bella hands came up to tangle into his hair. She felt the burn in her calves and thighs as she continued to push her flesh against his. Her body was slick with sweat, and his so much warmer now from the touch of her skin. She slid along him, against him. She was so wet and he was so hard and the pressure building felt so wonderful.

Bella thought she had exploded before, felt thigh-trembling pleasure before. But this time, _this time_, it blew her mind. "Carlisle, Carlisle, oh, oh, oh, Carlisle, oh-_oh_." She lost the ability to even say his name as the orgasm brought her.

Her legs gave out. Weakly, Bella's hands slid down to Carlisle's neck, her head falling forward. Not letting go of the moment, Carlisle landed Bella onto her back, her head barely staying inside the edge of the bed. Carlisle was still hard and he held himself just slightly above her, his right arm supporting his weight around the side of her head. Bella was spent, but the fact that Carlisle was still hot for her was just the sexiest thing in the world. Bella used her hands to encourage him, one on his hip and the other holding onto his arm. "Take me," she whispered on a breath.

His body completely covered hers as Carlisle lowered himself, pushing more completely inside her. The need to copulate continued to overcome them both, and the pace increased. Carlisle's hands clutched the edge of the bed above her as he drove himself back into her again and again. Bella's hand on his hip moved behind him, encouraging each push.

"Bella... sweet." Carlisle could barely get the words out as his hips continued to rock hers.

"Yes, Carlisle. God, just _yes_." It felt so good, and Bella wanted nothing more than for Carlisle to come again inside her.

"So-" Carlisle's gasping words got cut off as Bella mashed her mouth against his. Her hips rose to meet him and Carlisle returned the intensity by feasting on her lips and tongue. Then his mouth stilled and he moaned into her, his body rapidly pumping before it slowed into two, three, four languid thrusts.

Their mouths separated with a sucking pop sound when Carlisle rolled off of her. For a few seconds neither spoke.

Bella lay sprawled on her back, breath coming in and out in pants. "I can't believe that just happened like - like that," she said to the ceiling.

"Neither can I," Carlisle breathed beside her.

Bella angled her head to look at him. Like her, he lay on his back above the mussed sheets. She laughed from low in her throat. "How did I end up over here?"

"Would you like a play-by-play?"

"No," Bella pushed up on her arms. "I think we covered every inch of this bed."

"Easily."

"What time is it?" Bella wondered just how long the two of them had been at it.

"Who cares?"

"Shame on you," Bella laughed, sliding off the bed. Carlisle sat up with alarm when Bella winced and muttered a mild "Holy crow."

"Bella, are you hurt?" His voice was clear.

"No, I'm not hurt." Bella smiled wryly. "I am, though, very pleasantly sore." She cast her eyes around the floor of the room, searching for clothes.

"I can run you a warm bath. I'm certain we have the time."

"You are always the caretaker, aren't you?" Bella teased.

"It is part of my essential makeup, but you have to admit that I am directly responsible for your current aches and pains. A bath will help soothe you."

Bella had found her t-shirt and after bending to pick it up, she paused to let the twinges of pain dissipate. Holding the shirt against her chest, eyes closed, Bella nodded. "Mm-hmm."

"Hey," Carlisle said gently. Bella sensed him moving toward her, and felt his fingers caress her cheek. She opened her eyes to his smile. They stood there for a second, just looking at each other. Bella felt her own smile slowly spread.

"Let me get the bath started for you." With a kiss to the top of her head, Carlisle exited the room. Still naked. She watched him leave.

Alone again, Bella sighed. Looking around the room Bella took in the clothes all over the floor, the mussed bed sheets, and winced again. "Ow."

Minutes later she was immersed in hot bubbles, alone behind the closed bathroom door. Carlisle had advised her to just relax, which was exactly what Bella intended to do. She had a rolled up towel supporting the back of her head, allowing her to lean against the edge of the tub.

That had been just amazing. This entire weekend was just… wow. Carlisle didn't just make love to her; he'd _shown_ her what sex was. It had been all about her, it had been more about him, and then… then it had been about fucking. There was no other term for it. Bella remembered just how it had felt, to need him inside her, to feel the length of him pushing in and pulling out again. Bella closed her eyes, quickly knocking the towel to the side, and slid under the water. Oh, yes, they had fucked.

The tub wasn't large, but Bella rolled under the water as best she could, enjoying the liquid heat sloshing over her skin. The bruise on her left hip was nothing. The water soothed the soreness of her muscles and the flesh between her legs. She felt good. Her body had been very pleasantly exercised and it needed a break, as much as she had enjoyed every millisecond of the sex. Bella rose above of the water. Bracing her arms on either side of her, she stretched her legs and lower back out of the confines she'd just had them in. She let go with a moan, more of release than of pain.

"Bella?" Carlisle called from the other side of the bathroom door, causing Bella's legs and butt to fall back down abruptly, sloshing the water. "Are you alright? Do you need me?" The doorknob turned slightly.

"Carlisle, _do not_ come in here. I mean it." More water splashed as Bella lifted her hands in emphasis. "I don't know what I'll want to do if you do, so just don't, please."

There were a couple seconds of silence as Carlisle considered her words. "I can't guarantee that I wouldn't immediately want to fuck you again, either."

Bella's eyes grew large. "Okay, it is so not fair that I didn't get to see your face when you said that."

"Shall I come in?" Carlisle taunted.

"No!" _Yes._ "Uh-uh, definitely not. I couldn't take another marathon session like that."

"That was something else, wasn't it?" Bella could picture the smile on Carlisle's face as he said that. "Bella, please let me come in."

"Wait, I'm getting out. I'm done anyway." Bella stood and carefully stepped out of the tub. She covered herself with a towel before calling to Carlisle. "Alright."

Carlisle stepped in, fully dressed and smiling. "It's much easier talking with you without having a wall between us."

Bella grinned, remembering her thoughts when Carlisle had been trying to close her out earlier. "I agree. I much prefer if there isn't a wall between us." She used a second towel to dry her hair. "How are we on time?"

"We should be getting on the road soon." Bella didn't miss Carlisle's gaze looking her over.

"Time to stop doing that, you know." Bella cautioned. "Do you have yourself under control?"

Mischievously, Carlisle stepped closer to Bella. "I believe that I am known for my control."

"Is that right, Dr. Cullen?" Bella put a hand on his chest and looked up at him, giving one sultry blink of her eyelashes. "Well, we've had enough demonstrations of that for one weekend." She gave him a push and stepped away.

"I do think that you need some time to recover," Carlisle agreed, and he, too, stepped back. Then he changed his mind, and stepped forward, putting his arms around Bella in an embrace. He said nothing, just held her. Bella turned her head and rested her cheek against his chest.

"Your skin's not as warm anymore," she said after a minute.

"It doesn't last very long."

"Hmm."

Carlisle leaned his head back to look down at her. "Are you ready to head home?"

Bella nodded. "Yes." She pulled back and Carlisle dropped his arms. "Just one thing."

"Yes?"

Bella didn't know what made her do it, what made her think that she could get away with it, but she did. "This." Moving her right leg, Bella swept Carlisle's left foot out from under him and with a push sent him into the tub. Carlisle let out a brief exclamation of surprise as he hit the water, sending it splashing all about the bathroom.

Bella only made it one step toward the door before wet arms were around her waist and pulling her backward. "You lost your towel."

"Well, I'm not very _graceful_!" Bella shouted the last word as her body made contact with the water, Carlisle pulling her into the tub with him.

A merry war that Bella couldn't possibly win then ensued, with her and Carlisle's laughter filling the cabin.

It was a fun couple of minutes, squealing and trying her damnedest to one-up on Carlisle. Her only advantage is that she wasn't wearing clothes. Seeing Carlisle's shirt and pants get increasingly soaked through while he just kept on laughing set something off in Bella. She stopped moving, and sensing her change in mood, Carlisle did, too.

"Carlisle, I think we need to draw a line," she said, untwining herself from him.

"I understand." Carlisle nodded and helped her climb out of the tub. Picking up her towel, her back towards Carlisle as he stepped out of the water, Bella covered herself.

"Sorry to be so abrupt," she said, still not facing him.

"It's alright."

"It's just-" Bella turned around. "I don't laugh with Edward. I know I amused him a lot in the beginning, but we don't laugh like that. Do you laugh with Esme?"

"Yes," Carlisle said. "More often than you'd think."

"I've never noticed." Bella's tone was confused.

"You do tend to be a little wrapped up in Edward," Carlisle said very gently.

Bella looked down at the floor and up again. "I love him."

"I know." Carlisle stepped in and framed her face with his hand. "What you and Edward have, feeling so intently for one another, is not a bad thing. Just remember to look up once in awhile. We'll all be there to make you laugh, especially me."

"Well… and Emmett."

"Smart ass."

Cleaning the bathroom and packing up didn't take very long. Soon they were getting into Carlisle's Mercedes. As they pulled away from the cabin, Bella did not turn to look. She was ready to leave Marion, Montana.

Truthfully, she missed Edward. She wanted to get back home to him. She needed to see his face and just _be_ with him. How to reconcile her new relationship with Carlisle next to all that could be tricky. Bella didn't know how Edward was going to act once she got home, even if it was all his idea to begin with. All the same, she knew that they would figure it out. Bella stared out her window at the passing Montana countryside.

After about half an hour, Carlisle reached over and took her hand. "Everything is going to turn out alright, Bella."

Bella turned her head and looked at him. Carlisle smiled at her. It was the same compassionate smile she was used to seeing, only now there was just a bit more there than had been before.

"Trust me," he said.

Giving his hand a squeeze, Bella grinned at him.

* * *

**A/N: There it all is! I hope you enjoyed it! Like how I sneaked the story title in there? Aw, yeah, go me.**


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